Sketch of the Life of the late Professor Edward Forbes. 41 



** I set off next week in another of our tenders on a six weeks' cruise, 

 to visit the Volcanic isles and the south end of the Morea, — I hope 

 with better botanical results. But as I said before, for botany one 

 should be at work here in April. Next year I shall be better prepared 

 for it. If one of the Commander's schemes, however, is put into execu- 

 tion, I expect yet to reap a rich harvest of plants this autumn. He pro- 

 poses to send the ' Isabella,' one of our tenders, to the Gulf of Maori 

 in Asia Minor to complete a survey. He will remain there six weeks, 

 and I propose to go with him and ascend the snowy ridges of Taurus, 

 which are within a few m.iles of Maori. As these mountains are 

 from 5000 to 10,000 feet high, I may yet get a rich store of valuable 

 plants from a country almost, if not wholly unexplored. 



*' I hope yet we shall go to Candia in spring, which will be a great 

 point for the botany. The zoological results, so far chiefly marine, 

 have fully satisfied me, and I expect will prove most valuable. I am 

 at work every day, and although I have a glorious set of companions, 

 work very hard. I wish there was some one with me to do the 

 dredging and preserving, as it takes up much time. As yet I have 

 left birds alone. I expected Thompson to have done them, but he 

 is off home again, as I suppose you know alreadv. Fishes, I,let 

 none of them escape me." ' '''''' *" ""*^ 



Another letter is dated — 



" H.M.S. Beacon, Macri, Asia Minory 

 February 28, 1842. rfW 



*' In my last letter I mentioned my intention of proceeding to Asia 

 Minor in one of the Beacon's tenders in autumn. Having done so 

 in the early part of last October, it has been out of my power to 

 write to you or any of my friends, as there is no communication 

 between these shores and Europe. Still I expected to have written 

 to the British dominions letters in abundance before the new year 

 began ; but circumstances most unexpected have sent the Beacon 

 down here to join us, and prevented our joining it at Athens, as was 

 intended. 



*' To give my itinerary in due order, my proceedings have been as 

 follows : — Returning in October from a round of the islands of the 

 Archipelago, — a cruise which was exceedingly fruitful in results as 

 regarded marine zoology and tertiary geology, but in consequence of 

 the season almost fruitless in botany, — I found the Beacon at Paros 

 with half her crew laid up by the terrible fever which kills so many 

 people here in summer, one of her best officers dead, and all in low 

 spirits. The people under my charge, — for (you will laugh, I doubt 

 not when I say so,) I have not only acted out here as naturalist, but 

 when accompanying the tenders, as surgeon, — escaped altogether. In 

 several cases here I really find my medical knowledge, small though 

 it may be, of the greatest service. Indeed, at the present moment 

 I am acting as physician in ordinary to the greatest personage in 

 the country near us, namely, the Mohussil or Governor of Severo, * a 

 very great Turk with a very long name,' as the song goes. 



" From Paros I set sail in our little schooner the Isabella to the 



7'.: MM? yA-^'n'k'l, 



