24 Dr. Cantor on the Flora and Fauna of Chusan. 



fine state of health, which I chiefly attribute to the excellent 

 arrangements of the commanding officer. Captain Paterson, of 

 H.M. 26th regiment. Shortly after I became exempted from 

 military duty as long as my services could be spared, agree- 

 ably to instructions upon the subject from H.E. the Com- 

 mander-in-chief of India. From the state in which I by this 

 time found the collections I had made shortly before at Lan- 

 tao, I was disagreeably apprised of the bad quality of my ma- 

 terials for preserving, though this was only the commence- 

 ment of subsequent mortification, felt on witnessing the de- 

 struction of objects nearly as fast as I contrived to collect 

 them. Time becoming precious as the season for collecting 

 was rapidly advancing, and the prospects of the arrival of a 

 supply of materials from Government being uncertain, I had 

 only one course left, to sketch the living objects. The illus- 

 trious Mr. MacLeay has observed, that the use of the pencil 

 and brush is as necessary to a naturalist as the power of read- 

 ing and writing. I felt the truth of these words at this junc- 

 ture, when I had no hopes of success in preserving collections, 

 though 1 was determined upon not altogether losing the op- 

 portunity. Not having received the instructions of the Rt. 

 Hon. the Governor-General as to the objects of my inquiries, 

 I directed them to general features, on the same principle as 

 the artist does who intends to produce a familiar likeness. 

 An entire though hasty outhne will better serve the purpose 

 than if he were to produce an elaborate representation of sin- 

 gle parts or features. 1 do not mean to deny that a thorough 

 study of any single branch of zoology may prove of the great- 

 est importance to throw light upon the physical condition of 

 a country ; but I am alluding to the peculiar position under 

 which I was placed in a field new to science. About the end 

 of August I was fortunate enough to receive a quantity of 

 spirits of wine and bottles, timely enough to save part of the 

 zoological collections from destruction. As I had not suc- 

 ceeded in my search for a botanist, I trained my servant to 

 assist me in collecting plants and seeds, while my own time 

 was divided between searching for specimens, sketching them, 

 and taking notes. At this period the dreadful extent of sick- 

 ness, ravaging during our first occupation of Chusan, render- 

 ed the assistance of every medical officer necessary, and I was 

 ordered from my residence to perform regimental duty with 

 H.M. 26th regiment. The Cameronians were encamped on 

 the slope of a steep hill, at a considerable distance from the 

 house in Ting-hae where I lived, among the collections. The 

 large building had been appropriated to the office of the chief 



