55 



The few hours which Sir James Smith's kindness induced him to 

 devote to me, though he was ready prepared to set off on a journey- 

 to join his Smithia, (a lady of rare talents,) passed away like a 

 moment of time ; just as the sweetest periods of life seem to fleet 

 upon the swiftest wings. I have rarely beheld a more noble coun- 

 tenance ; one indicative of such candour, simplicity and kindness, 

 united with so much clearness of intellect, as that of Sir J. E. Smith ; 

 and the expression of his features will never be obhterated from my 

 memory. 



Sir James obtained for my son and myself admittance to the noble 

 hospital at Norwich ; after which we quitted this romantic and 

 prettily situated city, and proceeded by way of Newmarket to Cam- 

 bridge. The coach, like all those which carry the mail in England, 

 went at too rapid a rate, and the day closed too early, to allow of our 

 making many observations on the Flora of the somewhat barren 

 country which lies between Norwich and Newmarket. We only 

 noticed, from the road, some beautiful country seats, and a planta- 

 tion of Pinus sylvestris, which, like the other tribes of Fir, is a rarity 

 on the plains of England, not being a native of this country. 



We hired a postchaise from Newmarket to Cambridge, which is 

 situated in a rather bleak neighbourhood. I shall describe the 

 University in some other place, and only give a few words to the 

 Botanic Garden, which, as far as such an establishment can be 

 known by a Catalogue, is already known on the continent by the 

 third edition which the deceased Donn and Pursh, together with Mr. 

 Lindley, pubhshed in 1823. I had hoped here to meet my late 

 friend Dr. E. D. Clarke, Professor of Mineralogy, who once spent 

 an evening with me at Landshut, on his return from Egypt, and had 

 invited me in return to see him and his Garden at Cambridge. He 

 knew not that he was asking me to come and see his effigy, when he 

 gave me the invitation ; — the marble bust which the University has 

 placed to his honour in the hbrary, is all that was left of my friend. 

 I was told that Dr. Clarke's death was occasioned by the irritation 

 that an insect o-ave rise to, and which was drawn into his nostril by 

 smelling of a flower. 



The Garden at Cambridge contains about five acres of very bad 

 ground, and there are from five to six thousand species of plants, the 



