Information respecting Botanical Travellers. Ab 1 ] 



couragement to the German botanist and collector Zeyher, to con- 

 tinue his researches in the more remote parts of the colony where 

 -he has already been very successful, especially in Uitenhage and 

 Albany. It was intended that he should have proceeded to the 

 eastward, much beyond the colony ; but this is now out of the ques- 

 tion. " Any excursion beyond the boundary," our correspondent 

 observes, " the state of the country forbids. You will have seen by 

 the papers, that many thousands of Dutch boors, not satisfied with 

 our government, emigrated in the course of last year into the Zoo- 

 loo country to seek ' peace and quietness/ as they said, from the 

 mild and paternal sway of the Zooloo chief, Dingaan., who was civil 

 enough at first, for they did not alarm him — coming, as he said, in 

 fews andfews ; but when the main body arrived, the savage took 

 his measures, and succeeded in cutting off the leader of the boors, 

 and many of his chosen men. Since that, the whole country has 

 been disturbed, and actions have taken place between the parties 

 with various success. The population of Port Natal is almost massa- 

 cred to a man, the Missionaries and Captain Gardner have fled, and 

 the property of white persons in that country has been carried off by 

 Dingaan. It will take a long time to restore matters to a steady footing. 

 The main body of the boors, though having twice lost their leaders, 

 still hold out ; and till they or Dingaan be completely crushed, Zeyher 

 must keep within bounds. I hope to settle him this coming season 

 among the mountain districts of George, Auteniqualand, Zivarts- 

 berg, &c. ; Kuysna to be his head-quarters, where Mr. Rex, who is 

 still living and well, will gladly afford him hospitality. It is now, 

 however, (August) about four months too early for that country, 

 and these cannot be better spent than in Uitenhage and Albany, 

 where, I have no doubt, he will find out many plants that have 

 escaped others ; in fact, I have boundless confidence in the resources 

 of novelty still in this country. He has already found a new Myrtus 

 (not Memecylon Capense), a tree 30 feet high, which I have called 

 Myrtus Zeyheri; and from his present quarters (Uitenhage), he 

 sends me almost by every post something or other interesting, and 

 is most ready to poke out every little oddity I call for, or to send 

 fruit and seeds for dissection, buds for aestivation, and such like ; 

 in fact, he spares no pains to please me." 



The collections of such a man, and from such a country, cannot 

 fail to be valuable to the botanists in Europe ; and we have requested 

 that several sets may be sent to England, which he will (Mr, Zey., 

 her) be able to afford at the price of 21. the 100 species. 



Ann. Nat. Hist. Vol. 2. No. 13. Feb. 1839. 2\ 



