138 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



for the North-west coast before I arrived, and thus deprived me 

 of the pleasure of seeing a late student of yours. I wrote to him 

 at once indicating those parts of the country which promise to 

 yield the best harvest to the naturalist, and particularly requesting 

 his attention to the sea-weeds, but have not heard from him since, 

 nor, indeed, at any time. I very much regret not having seen 

 this gentleman, for I should have told him many things useful 

 for a young man entering this country as a botanist or traveller 

 to know. However, I explained them all to Dr Gairdner. 



" You will, perhaps, enquire why I did not address you by the 

 despatch of the ship to Europe last year. I reached the sea coast 

 quite broken down, having suffered no ordinary trial, and on my 

 arrival was soon prostrated by fever. My last letter to you was 

 written from the interior of the Columbia, and bore date about 

 the middle of April (1833) last year, just before starting on my 

 northern journey. Therein I mentioned my intention of writing 

 a few lines to you daily, which I did up to the 13th June, a most 

 disastrous date for me, on which I lost what I may call my all ! 

 On that morning at the Stony Islands of Eraser's River (the 

 Columbia of M'Kenzie — see the map in his 4to edition) my 

 canoe was dashed to atoms, when I lost every article in my 

 possession saving an astronomical journal, book of rough notes, 

 charts, and barometrical observations with my instruments. My 

 botanical notes are gone, and what gives me most concern my 

 journal of occurrences also, as this is what can never be replaced 

 even by myself. All the articles needful for pursuing my journey 

 were destroyed, so that my voyage for this season was frustrated. 

 I cannot detail to you the labour and anxiety this occasioned 

 me, both in body and mind, to say nothing of the hardship 

 and suffering I endured. Still I reflect with pleasure that no 

 lives were sacrificed. I passed over the cataract and gained the 

 shore in a whirlpool below, not, however, by swimming, for I was 

 rendered helpless, and the waves washed me on the rocks. The 

 collection of plants consisted of about 400 species — 250 of these 

 were mosses, and a few of them new. This disastrous occurrence 

 has much broken my strength and spirits. The country over 

 which I passed was all mountainous, but most so towards the 

 Western ocean : still it will ere long be inhabited. I have 

 written to Mr Hay, Under-Secretary of State, respecting the 

 boundary line of the Columbia, as the American Government is 

 anxious to obtain a footing there. 



