Botany. 18S 



35. C. S. Parker, Es<f. — This gentleman, the son ef C Parker, Esq. 

 Blochairn, near Glasgow, a most zealous naturalist, who studied the 

 principles of hotany under the celebrated Ue Candolle at Geneva, in a 

 late visit which he made to his concerns at Demerara, formed a very large 

 and valuable collection of the plants of Dutch Guiana. Proceeding thence 

 to the West Indian islands, during the last summer he chartered a ves- 

 sel on his own account, with the view of rendering himself independent 

 of the ordinary but uncertain mode of conveyance in those seas, and had 

 already investigated many of the islands, when an accident occurred, 

 than which hone more disheartening can befal a naturalist, — the loss of 

 his vessel, of the crew, and of the whole of his collections. Deeply as we 

 sympathise with our young friend in this destruction of lives, and of a 

 property (the amount of which none perhaps but a botanist, who has 

 himself gathered such treasures, under such a sun, and with so much 

 toil and fatigue, can duly appreciate,) we cordially rejoice with his fa- 

 mily in Mr. Parker's own safety. We have been permitted to make the 

 following extract from his letter, dated on board the Mail Boat, Endea- 

 vour, off Antigua, Sept. 23, 1824. 



" When I had the pleasure of last addressing you from the roads of 

 Basseterre, I little foresaw the circumstances of imminent danger in 

 which 1 was placed, my merciful preservation from which 1 can only 

 ascribe to the gracious protection of an overruling Providence. I disem- 

 barked at Basseterre on the forenoon of the 7th instant, with the inten- 

 tion of ascending the SoufFriere, and starting next day for the islands to 

 leeward. The exorbitant anchorage-dues imposed by Admiral Jacob, 

 amounting to thirty-four dollars upon a small vessel in ballast for a sin- 

 gle night, decided the captain in lying off and on during the night. The 

 afternoon was rather squally, and we had several heavy showers while 

 ascending the mountain to a cottage where we 6pent the night. I awoke 

 suddenly about midnight, and found that a tremendous gale was raging, 

 tearing up forest trees by their roots, devastating the plantations, and 

 doing incalculable damage to buildings and crops, particularly among the 

 coffee trees and plantain walks. At dawn of day, when the fury of the 

 storm had in some degree subsided, the devastated landscape presented 

 an aspect truly dismal, while not a sail was to be descried on the agitated 

 ocean. The loss of lives has been very serious, several vessels having 

 parted from their cables, and grounded on the roads of the Santas. Of 

 the crew of one of them, a garda-costa, manned by thirty-two sailors and 

 officers, not an individual survived to tell the tale. Fifteen days have now 

 elapsed, without a syllable of intelligence having reached inc respecting 

 the fate of my unfortunate schooner, which I had chartered, and on board 

 of which were mr.nyobjects invaluable in my estimation. But on these 

 losses, and others which a mere pecuniary investment (heavy, indeed, in 

 amount,) may replace, gratitude for my extraordinary preservation, and 

 regret for the doom which 1 fear has befallen my companions, forbid ine 

 to permit my mind for a moment to dwell." 



We have much gratification in being able to state, that of the collec- 

 tions made by Mr. Parker, those formed at Barbadocs, Trinidad, and St. 



