276 . BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
ture, for the mutual benefit of both, by inducing an inter- 
change of their various productions—undertaking journeys 
for the purpose of collecting botanical rarities indigenous 
to Australia, &c., the situation of landscape-gardener and 
layer-out of plantations and promenades for the benefit of the 
good people of Sydney, was also, among other equally ano- 
malous duties, considered by the Colonial Government to be 
part and parcel of the office of Colonial Botanist; and in 
consequence thereof, no fewer than one hundred convict 
labourers were placed under the charge and supervision of 
the Colonial Botanist, and as an agreeable addition to the 
presumed quietude of a garden devoted solely to scientific 
pursuits and researches, a barrack for the permanent resi- 
dence of forty of these incorrigibles was ordered to be imme- 
diately built in the Botanic Garden, and the Superintendent 
of it was to be held responsible for the well-doing of this new 
feature in a botanical establishment. 
Mr. Cunningham was consequently soon. made aware that, 
as a botanist, his services were likely to be but of little avail 
to his correspondents in Europe, or to science generally ; 
added to this was the great indisposition on the part of the 
Colonial Government to meet his wishes, either in the pro- 
viding a suitable habitation for him in the garden, or of 
affording him, in any way, an opportunity of carrying out the 
real duties of his situation, namely, that of Colonial Bo- 
tanist, by acceding to his numerous applications for the assist- 
ance of additional horses and servants, for short tours for 
botanical investigation of different portions of the colony. 
Another unpleasant affair was the circumstance of the pro- 
duce of the garden (fruit and vegetables), being grown to a 
large extent for the benefit of certain official personages, 
which had become so notorious, that the Sydney press took 
notice of it in no very measured terms. The result of all 
these annoyances was Mr. Cunningham’s determination to 
resign the appointment of (the miscalled) Colonial Botanist ; 
and in the early part of December he sent in his resignation 
to the Governor, Sir R., Bourke, which was accepted by His 
