212 ^ "^1 .lOllNSTOV .NtKMOUIAl. i.KCTrui:. 



The above was his chief life wovk. It is specially his 

 hobbies that claim the attention of his brother scientists. 



When at Launceston he became the friend of Mr. Gunn 

 after whom not a few Tasmanian plants have been named, 

 and from him derived a taste for botany. Later he con- 

 tributed five papers en the flora of Tasmania. 



His extraordinary versatility and energy are shown by 

 the fact that he also contributed eight papers on mollusca. 

 sixteen upon fishes, and no less than .5G papers on geological 

 subjects. 



He v;as Royal Commissioner on Fisheries, anu I am 

 informed by no less an authority than Mr. C. Hedley, F.L.S., 

 of the Australian Museum, Sydney, that Johnston's work 

 on the fishes was of great value, and, particularly in view 

 of the many limitations in those early days, was most 

 meritorious. The great work which he published in 1888, 

 "The Geology of Tasmania," with an account of the minerals 

 and rocks of Tasmania, has laid a splendid foundation on 

 which future generations may build, and his geological map 

 of Tasmania is a masterpiece. There is, of course, much 

 to be added to it, but little to alter in the main features. 

 But in profiting by the wealth of information in his classic 

 books and papers, one must not lose sight of the tremendous 

 physical effort, hardship, and privation which he, with his 

 stalwart comrades, endured in their quest of the unknown, a 

 quest fraught with difficulties which might well have 

 appalled all but the bravest of the brave. We know that in 

 1874, in company with the late J. A. Scott, W. C. Piguenit, 

 Lieutenant Burgess, and two others, R. M. Johnston spent 

 six weeks (all of the party laden with knapsacks weighing from 

 CO to 701b.) in exploring the whole of the south-we.stern 

 highlands lying between the mouth of the Huon and Mac- 

 quarie Harbour, and in making collections and observations 

 on the geology and botany of that region. 



In 1879 he formed one of a similar party in exploring 

 the northern region of the western highlands, including 

 Gad's hill, Middlesex Plains, Vale of Belvoir, Valentine's 

 Peak, Mount Bi.schoff, the headwaters of the Mackintosh 

 V^alley, and other tributaries of the Pieman and Arthur 

 Rivers. 



Next, in the year 1HH7, in company with his friend, the 

 late C. P. Sprent, Deputy Surveyor-General, and five others, 

 he traversed on foot and examined the whole of the region 

 lying near to the route across the island b\ way of the 



