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



In the spring of 1841 he accepted an invitation from Captain 

 Graves, of the Beacon, to join the surveying party in the Medi- 

 terranean, in the capacity of naturalist. He and I met in Lon- 

 don in April, along with Vogel, M<^ Williams, and Stanger, who 

 were about to join the expedition to the Niger. 



He was occupied until 1842 in examining the ^Egean and the 

 coasts of Asia Minor. During part of the time he visited Lycia 

 and assisted Sir Charles Feliowes, along with Mr. Hoskyn, 

 Mr. Daniell and Lieut. Spratt, in the exploration of some of the 

 lost cities. His researches in the iEgean, in regard to marine 

 life at different depths, led to those speculations which he after- 

 wards promulgated relative to submarine life in connexion with 

 geological changes. During this expedition his friend the Rev. 

 E. T. Daniell died of fever brought on by malaria, and Forbes's 

 life was also placed in imminent danger by a similar attack. 

 He struggled through the fever, after lying for nearly a fortnight 

 in a helpless state, without tasting food or receiving any medical 

 advice. This ^gean fever materially affected his constitution, 

 and he had frequent aguish attacks afterwards, which he looked 

 upon as referable to that illness. 



During his researches at this time he looked with a naturalist^s 

 eye at everything, as is well shown in his ' Travels in Lycia,^ 

 which he afterwards (in 1846) published, in conjunction with 

 Lieut. Spratt. Botany, zoology, geology, geography and anti- 

 quities were alike subjects of study and observation. 



In July 1821 he wrote thus from Paros : — 



" Paros, 24 July, 1841. 

 " Dear Balfour, 



He********* 



Here I am out of the world, working away li*ke bricks (so to speak) 

 in the midst of ruins. Hitherto my working has been almost en- 

 tirely mineralogical and zoological, owing to delays on the part of 

 the Oriental Steam Packet Company. Only three days ago did any of 

 my parcels reach me, but they are now all here, — the box from the 

 Botanical Society, a parcel of paper in oil- cloth from Dr. Graham, 

 and a box from Sir William Jardine. I have dried a lot of plants 

 in the paper which I got at Malta, but have hitherto regarded rather 

 the collection of specimens to illustrate the flora of the Isles, than 

 of duplicates, not having materials for the latter. Unfortunately the 

 lateness of arrival of the box will prevent much being done in that 

 way here this year, as the flora is almost gone, burnt up already, 

 and there are no mountains sufliciently high for subalpine plants. 

 Those of Naxos which I have ascended are 3500 feet high, but the 

 vegetation of their summits is the same as that of their bases. 



'' I have just returned from a cruise among the islands, and I have 

 been five weeks away in a little cutter with every convenience. The 

 botanical result is, that the vegetation of all the islands I have seen 

 is exactly similar. 



