« ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Boreali, and we are brought to the conclusion that he belongs to that 

 large number of early botanists who did most excellent work, but of 

 whom there was no special record, and the remembrance of whom has 

 disappeared with the generation to which they belonged. 



Murdoch says of Smith that he was " Eemarkable for the vast and 

 varied information he acquired in botany, natural history, etc. With a 

 familiar knowledge of most that nature and books could teach an inquir- 

 ing mind, he united the unfeigned simplicity and kindness that rendered 

 him an agreeable visitor as well in the families of our citizens as in the 

 cottages of the most humble." ^ 



To these early years of the century belongs also the work of John 

 ■<xo]die. Our former knowledge of the work of this botanist has been 

 recently enlarged by the publication of his diary for 1819^ by his son 

 James Goldie, of Gueljjh, Ontario, to whom I am indebted for a copy. 

 Unfortunately this record, although of great interest and value, does not 

 contain very many notes on the plants of the districts visited, but the 

 preface contains interesting information respecting Mr. Goldie's work. 



Mr. Goldie's earliest professional experience was in connection with 

 the Botanic Gardens at Glasgow where, as a fellow-student he became 

 acquainted with David Douglas, afterwards eo well known in connection 

 with the botany of the western portion of Canada. Later he was selected 

 as the Government Botanist to the ill-fated Congo Expedition, but at the 

 last moment was fortunately replaced through political influence. In 

 1817, at the instance of Mr. William Hooker (afterwards Sir Wm.), he 

 «ailed for America, where he spent two years in botanical explorations. 

 During this time he made three separate shipments of j^lants to England, 

 bat none of these specimens were ever heard from again, and thus Avere 

 the fruits of his labours destro3'ed. It was during this period that he 

 ■discovered and described the fern (Aspidium Goldianum) which Hooker 

 named after him, and the original description of which, together with an 

 «excellent figure, is appended to the diary. 



Later Mr. Goldie collected for the St. Petersburg Gardens and was 

 enabled to send many rare plants to England. During a second visit to 

 'Russia in 1830, he travelled extensively in Siberia. In 1844 he removed 

 to Canada where he took up permanent residence, since which time he 

 appears to have relinquished his interest in active botanical work. 



From the time of the last published works of Pursh until 1830, in all 

 about fifteen years, was a period distinguished by remarkable activity in 

 Arctic exploration, beginning with the expedition of Barrow and ending 

 with Parry. It was within this short period that the expeditions of 

 Franklin, Eoss and Richardson, of Beechy, Scoresby and Eoss and Parry 



» Hist. Nov. Scotia, III., 220. 



2 Dairy of a journey through Upper Canada and some of the New England 

 States, 1819 ; Toronto, Wm. Tyirell & Co., 1897. 



