18 MEMOIR OF 



culties, has worthily received the reward of his 

 labours in the high scientific rank which he now 

 holds, and in the marked approbation of the sove- 

 reign of Great Britain, as well as of those of other 

 European kingdoms. The greater part of the infor- 

 mation we possess has already appeared in some of 

 the German newspapers, and we have heard much of 

 it confirmed by our traveller himself; we now have 

 only to regret that, being already far on his way to 

 resume his labours in another hemisphere, our notes 

 cannot have his own revision. The later and more 

 active part of Mr. Schomburgk's life is best seen in 

 his journals of the expeditions, during which the 

 subjects forming the chief part of the materials for 

 " The History of the Fishes of Guiana" were col- 

 lected. These, indeed, are almost essential for the 

 illustration of the subject; and we have added a 

 condensed account of the wanderings of the disco- 

 verer of the Victoria rec/alis, introducing at times 

 his own accounts of scenery and vegetation, as ac- 

 cessory to the history of the fishes of the mighty 

 rivers which water one of our richest but even yet, 

 perhaps, least known colonies. For this informa- 

 tion we acknowledge being much indebted to the 

 Reports published in the " Journal of the Royal 

 Geographical Society," and trust that we shall not 

 be considered as having drawTi too largely from its 

 valuable pages, more particularly as the extensive 

 circulation of our volumes may tend to further the 

 cause of geographical science so ably supported by 

 the periodical alluded to, and may enlist some 



