126 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



lu the diaiy of his journej" through Upper Canada and a portion of 

 the Northern States. Mr. Goldie does not give us any distinctly scientific 

 account of his observations on plants. The strictly botanical journal 

 which Mr. Groldie kept during the journey described in this diary, was 

 lost b}' fire. It contains, rather, general impressions of the aspect of the 

 countr}" through which he passed, the character of the people, soil, pro- 

 ductions, coupled with observations on the weather, as the occurrence of 

 storms, highest readings of the thermometer each day, general notes on 

 the flora, &c. It is written in a quaint, simple style, characteristic of the 

 man, and is of interest in comparing the country and some of its features 

 eighty years ago with the present. 



In the article published in the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, 

 after Mr. Goldie's return to Scotland, there is a descrijDtion of over a dozen 

 new plants, with notes on rare and ill-determined species. The concise- 

 ness of his descriptions and the acuteness with which he notices points of 

 ditferences in plants, which seemed to have escaped the eyes of other 

 botanists, places the stamp of originality and accuracy of judgment upon 

 his work. The stately Aspidium,^ named in honour of its discoverer, is a 

 rare fern in this part of Canada, It was a great pleasure to present to 

 Mr. Goldie's son, on his visit to St. John last summer, one of the two 

 living specimens of this fern that I possessed. 



John Goldie was born in the parish of Kirkoswold, Ayrshire, Scot- 

 land, on the 21st of March, 1793, and died at Ayr, Ontario, July, 1886, in 

 the r(4th 3'ear of his age. In early life he was a great lover of plants, 

 and making collections and classifjing these was his greatest pleasure. 

 He served an a])prenticeship as a gardener and afterwards entered the 

 <Tlasgow Botanic Gardens, und there received a thorough scientific and 

 practical training in botany. Later he graduated from the University 

 of Glasgow, whei-e he was distinguished for skill in language and 

 science. In 1815, the English Government having to send an expedition 

 to the west coast of Africa to explore the Congo Eiver, Mr. Goldie applied 

 for atul obtained the position of botanist, conditional on his passing the 

 requii'ed examination. Having satisfied the examiners he proceeded to 

 join the expedition, but at the last moment was superseded through 

 advei'se political influence. The disappointment was most fortunate lor 

 him. The coast fevers of Africa were too much for the Europeans, and 

 the expedition was forced to return to England shortly afterwards with- 

 out its botanist, who had succumbed to the fever. 



In the spring of 1817, by the advice of Dr. Hooker, afterwards Sir 

 William Hooker, Mr. Goldie sailed for America accomjianied by his 

 brother-in-law, Eobert Smith. By stress of weather the vessel was 

 obliged to put into Halifax. Here he left the ship and spent several days 

 in exploring the neighbourhood of the city and examining its flora. He 



1 Aspidium Goldianum, Hook. 



