JAMES BACKHOUSE. 53 
Dr. Hooker writes as follows in his history of the exploration of the 
island :—“ Mr. James Backhouse visited Australia in 1832, and spent 
there six years. The journey was undertaken, as his narrative informs 
us, ‘solely for the purpose of discharging a religious duty,’ but owing 
to his knowledge of botany, his connection with a fine horticultural 
establishment (The Nursery, York), and his love of observing and col- 
lecting, the results of his journey have proved extremely valuable, in 
a scientific point of view, and added much to our familiarity with 
Australian vegetation. Mr. Backhouse first landed at Hobarton, and 
then, and on two future occasions, visited numerous parts of Tasmania, 
on the Derwent and Clyde, Macquarie Harbour, Port Arthur, Spring 
Bay, various stations on the north coast, and in the mountainous interior. 
e also twice visited New South Wales, and made excursions to the 
Blue Mountains, Bathurst, Moreton Bay, Newcastle, Maitland, Port 
Macquarie, Illawarra, and Goulburn; and afterwards went to Port 
Phillip, Adelaide, King George’s Sound, and Swan River. The journals 
of these various extensive journeys are extremely good, and though 
specially devoted to philanthropic- objects, they omit no observations 
on natural history, and especially on botany, that their talented author 
considered might be worthy of such a record. r. Backhouse formed 
a considerable herbarium, and made copious manuscript notes (now in 
the Hookerian library) whieh he liberally gave where he thought they 
would be most useful."— Introductory Essay, ‘Flora Tasmanica,’ p. 
CXXV—-Vi. 
The following is a memorandum attached to a specimen of Bland- 
fordia granit iflora, gathered by Mr. Gunn, now in the Hookerian her- 
barium :—* Very abundant at Rocky Cape, where I collected it in full 
flower, December 16, 1836, and in fruit in February and 1st of March, 
1837. Soil very poor, quartz sand, but it appears to like moisture to 
4 moderate degree. I had hoped, and, indeed, do still, that this may 
be found different to the B. nobilis, and that you will confer the name 
of our friend James Backhouse on it. It could not bear a worthier. 
It is also intimately connected with my first acquaintance with that 
truly good and amiable man. In January, 1833, I first met Mr. 
Backhouse and his worthy companion and fellow-labourer, George W. 
Walker, at a farm of my brother’s, about thirty-five miles west from 
Launceston. They were then on their way from the Hampshire and 
Surrey hills, with one horse between them, and asked me how far it 
