378 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



following spring Kennicott died very suddenly of heart 

 disease as he was about to embark on an exploration of 

 the unmapped part of the upper Yukon. The work was 

 carried out to the best of their ability by his companions 

 and the expedition so far as its scientific results are 

 concerned was a success. 



The following letter, though out of its chronological 

 order, seems most appropriately placed here: 



From R. McFarlane to Miss Lucy H. Baird. 



FORT ST. JAMES, STUART LAKE, B. C., 



nth P'ebruary, 1888. 

 DEAR Miss BAIRD 



On the 8th inst. I was glad to receive your kind and interesting 

 letter of i6th November last. 



The former times and Smithsonian occupations in which so many 

 of the Hudson Bay Company's officers were engaged, especially in 

 the far North to which you so kindly refer, were indeed bright and 

 joyful, and occasionally even exciting; while they have since fre- 

 quently proved a source of pleasant reminiscences. From time to 

 time, however, we who still survive have experienced no little regret 

 as one after another of the "Northern Band" has taken his departure 

 on the inevitable journey to that land from which no traveller ever 

 returns. Our first great loss was that of the jolly and warmhearted 

 and zealous Kennicott in 1866. He was followed by B. R. Ross in 

 1874; then Sibbeston left us in 1880; Hardisty in 1881; Taylor in 

 1883; and Lockhart in 1887. . . . 



Sincerely yours, 



R. McFARLANE. 



Just before the organization of Kennicott's party, 

 January 24th, 1865, the great fire at the Smithsonian 

 building occurred. Though much that was valuable was 

 destroyed, the fireproof flooring of the second story of 



