268 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
long remember the pretty cottage he inhabited, equally with 
the hospitable host, who on all occasions was so ready to 
diffuse around him the rich store of information he pos- 
sessed, as wellas to distribute among the naturalists and 
botanists who visited him a portion of the valuable collections 
he had brought home. His time was much employed in 
arranging his large herbarium, the results of seventeen years' 
bour, and in giving to the world, through the medium of 
the botanical periodicals of the day, a portion of his observa- 
tions on the botany of the countries he had visited. Geo- 
graphical details of those parts of New South Wales that he 
had investigated in his various expeditions, were also pub- 
lished in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, as 
also were some geological remarks, in the Proceedings of the 
Geological Society. 
In 1832, in consequence of the death of the indefatigable 
Mr, Charles Fraser, the situation of Colonial Botanist, in 
New South Wales, became vacant, and an offer of the situa- 
tion was made to Mr. Cunningham, which he declined in 
favour of his brother Richard ; who, bearing a strong recom- 
mendation from Mr. Brown, received the appointment from 
the Colonial Office. He reached Sydney in February, 1833; 
and as has been previously mentioned, in April, 1835, fell a 
sacrifice to science. His disastrous and painfully circum- 
stanced death, was a source of intense grief to his brother 
Allan, who now had lost all his near relatives ; and the con- 
sequence was an entire change in his future destination. 
Although for some months in possession of the report of his 
brother's death, he still clung to the hope that he was alive, 
and probably detained among the natives, and that he would 
be restored if a party were sent in search of him. However, 
on the 17th of May, 1836, the writer of this sketch received 
the affecting letter below, confirmatory of his worst fears.* 
* “ My very dear friend Heward, 
“ I have the painful task to inform you, in common with others of my 
poor lamented brother's best, very best friends, that Richard Cunning- 
ham is no more. Up to the hour of my having written to you, this morn- 
