1828.] 
descriptions, by Baron Cuvier, and M. Cha- 
misso; with examples and observations on 
craniology, by Dr. Gall; in twenty-two 
livraisons, in folio—which was finally com- 
pleted in 1823. It is generally acknow- 
ledged, that no other traveller has so faith- 
fully expressed the characteristic physiology 
of the natives of the South Sea Islands ; for, 
during the eighteenth century, it was too 
much the mania to represent these children 
of nature (particularly of the island of Ota- 
heite) as so many Apollos, Venuses, Dianas, 
&c. &c. His portrait of the King Tameama 
is alone distinguished among the inhabitants 
of these isles for a character of intelligence, 
finesse, and calm; which is the more to be 
wondered at, as this prince in his youth had 
been remarked for almost ungovernable rage 
and ferocity ; and, in regarding his physi- 
ognomy with the greatest attention, one is 
convinced that this extraordinary man had 
first learned the consummate art of govern- 
ing himself before that of governing his sub- 
jects. In 1826, M. Choris published his 
“€ Views and Landscapes in the Equinoxial 
Regions, collected in his Voyage round the 
World.” It was a supplement to the 
former work, and consisted of twenty-four 
plates, in folio ; in which his principal object 
was to characterize the physiognomy of 
plants and vegetables in the different coun- 
tries he had passed through. 
In 1827 M. Chorisleft France for the pur- 
pose of exploring the vast regions of South 
America; and, after having successively vi- 
sited most of the islands belonging to the 
Archipelago of the Antilles, and Cuba, and 
New Orleans, he finally landed on the coast 
of Mexico, where he unfortunately became 
a victim to the wretched police that governs 
that country. The following extract of a let- 
ter, written by Messrs. Adone et Plante- 
vigne, of Vera Cruz, dated April 5, 1828, to 
Messrs. Eyriés, of Havre-de-Grace, relate 
the melancholy catastrophe :— 
“MM. Choris arrived here the 19th of 
March last, on board the Eclipse, of New 
Orleans: we received him with every atten- 
tion. Two days after his arrival, he left us 
for Jalapa, with a letter to our correspondent 
there. The day after his departure we learnt, 
with the most profound affliction, that M. 
Choris and an English gentleman, his fellow- 
companion, had been assassinated by four 
robbers. M. Choris was killed by a musket- 
ball, and by a sabre-cut; Mr. Henderson 
the Englishman) received a ball in the 
i and another in the lungs. This 
afflicting event took place between Puente- 
Nationel and Plan-del-Rio. Notwithstand- 
ing his wounds, Mr. Henderson continued 
his route to Jalmpa; and, at Plan-del-Rio, 
informed the mayor of the circumstances, 
begging him to make every research for M. 
Choris, as he was then ignorant whether he 
Biographical Memoirs of Eminent Persons. 
325 
was alive or dead. Nor was it till the next 
day the mayor was enabled to find his body _ 
in the woods, as the robbers had carefully 
covered it with the branches of trees. It was 
brought to Plan-del-Rio, where it has been 
interred.” 
The loss of M. Choris will not be felt 
solely by his friends and acquaintance ; their 
affliction will be partaken by every friend to 
science, who naturally expected much from 
him*—when it is considered that, at twenty 
years of age, he had been selected to accom- 
pany M. Kotzebue in his voyage round the 
world, and had given the public the relation 
of that voyage, and that he had since em- 
ployed several years in maturing his talents, 
under Messrs. Regnault and Gerard, solely 
for the purpose of exploring and describing 
that America in which he found such an 
unforeseen and melancholy end ! 
LORD FORESTER. 
Cecil Weld Forester, Lord Forester, of 
Willey Park, Shropshire, so created on the 
17th of July 1821, was the descendant of an 
ancient and much-respected family. Sir 
William Forester, of Dothill, Knight, his 
lordship’s great grandfather, born in the 
year 1665, married Lady Mary Cecil, 
daughter of James, third earl of Salisbury, 
by his countess, Margaret Manners, fifth 
daughter of John, eighth earl of Rutland. 
It was through an intermarriage with the 
family of Weld, of Willey Park, that his 
lordship derived the bulk of his property in 
Shropshire. He married, in the year 1800, 
the Right Honourable Lady Katharine 
Mary Manners, daughter of the late, and 
sister of the present, Duke of Rutland ; with 
whose family that of the Foresters appears 
to have been long connected. His lordship 
was in possession of a grant made by Henry 
the Eighth to one of his ancestors—John 
Forester, of Watling-street, in the county 
of Salop, Esq.—to wear his hat in the pre- 
sence of the king. He was created a peer 
on the coronation of his present majesty, 
with whose personal friendship he was ho- 
noured. His lordship had a family of six 
sons and five daughters. After great and 
protracted suffering, from the gout, he ex- 
pired, at his house in Belgrave-square, Pim- 
lico, on the 23d of May. His lordship is 
succeeded in his title and estates by his 
eldest son, John George, by whose acces- 
sion to the peerage a vacancy was caused 
in the representation of the borough of 
Wenlock, for which he was one of the 
members. 
* M. Choris had announced, but which was un- 
fortunately never published,a ‘* Recuvil de Tétes 
et Costumes des Hahitans de la Russie, avec 
des Vues du Mont Caucase et de ses Envi- 
rons.” It was intended to consist of fifty plates. 
We trust this work will some day see the light, 
