RFXORDS OF AUSTRALIAN BOTANISTS. 227 



Amalie and her mother met the naturalist, Herr A. W. S. Dietrich, 

 in the mountains when they were gathering mushrooms for sale 

 and for their own use (mushrooms were always and are still an 

 important article of food in the poor mountain districts of Ger- 

 many), and he explained to them the difference between poisonous 

 and wholesome mushrooms, and showed them where they could 

 get plenty. Herr Dietrich had settled recently in Siebenlehn, and 

 was the wonder of the small township. His father was a lawyer 

 and was the descendant of a family of botanists. Salomo Dietrich, 

 who immigrated from Bohemia to Germany in 1688, was the first 

 botanist of fame in the family, and since then there had always been 

 at least one member of the family a reputed botanist. A. W. S. Diet- 

 rich was a well educated man, and started life as a chemist and 

 druggist, but gave up his profession in order to make a living by 

 lecturing and teaching all branches of Natural History and selling 

 collections. He was an enthusiast, but made a very poor living. 

 He became a friend of the saddler's family, and Amalie fell despe- 

 rately in love with him, took a passionate interest in Natural 

 History, chiefly in Botany, and Herr Dietrich became her in- 

 structor. Finally they married in 1846 or 1847, very much against 

 the wishes of her father and mother (Cordelia). 



The couple had very little to live on, but the father sold his house 

 and garden for 300 thaler (900 shillings) and gave the money, together 

 with all his little savings, to his son-in-law, and they all four lived to- 

 gether. The mother managed the household with much pinching and 

 many deprivations on the part of the female members of the family, 

 till the mother died. It is very sad to read the details of the house- 

 hold. He was an utterly selfish man, who never gave a thought to 

 the comfort of his willing wife, and she considered him as her master 

 and teacher, and willingly slaved for him. The only daughter, 

 Charitas, was born in 1848, and the mother of Frau Dietrich died 

 in 1852. After that confusion reigned in the household. Amalie 

 Dietrich had apparently neither inclination nor skill as housewife 

 or cook, and they had to hire a housekeeper, but could not afford it. 

 They commenced hawking their botanical collections, walking 

 many hundreds of miles from township to township, and she was 

 the beast of burden who carried the packs on her back. After- 

 wards they bought a dog and dog-cart, and she and the dog drew 

 the cart ; but Herr Dietrich stayed at home after a couple of hawk- 

 ing journeys, and left all that work to Frau Dietrich. The hawking 

 seems to have paid little in proportion to the hard work. The 

 author gives no details about her income, but she mentions in one 

 case that Amalie Dietrich brought home 48 thaler after a five 

 months' journey — i.e., about £7 4s — and that was hailed as a 

 prosperous journey. Herr Dietrich wanted at once to buy the 

 many-volumed illustrated Botanical Dictionary of David Dietrich 

 (one of his ancestors), but she refused. Soon afterwards Herr 

 Dietrich pretended to go to Berlin to collect money, but did not 

 return, and informed her afterwards that he had accepted a position 

 as teacher. He sent her some months later £12 or £13, and she 



