378 Scientific Intelligence. 



cently published, contains 448 genera of Fungi, Lichens, Byssaceoe, anil 

 Algue ; four great groups, which he arranges in two classes, Fungi, and 

 Alg«. The Lichens he considers as aerial Algw. u. k. g. 



IV. GENERAL SCIENCE. 



34. Notice respecting Mr Scouler's and Mr Douglas's recent Voyage to 

 the Norlh-West Coast of America. — We mentioned in the number of our 

 Journal for November 1825, the departure of Mr Scouler and Mr Douglas 

 for the North- West Coast of America, and under what circumstances they 

 went. We are enabled, through Mr Scouler, who has lately returned, to 

 give a slight sketch of this voyage. 



They embarked in a Hudson's Bay Company's ship at Gravesend on the 

 25th of July 1824, and arrived at Madeira on the 12th of August, where 

 they spent two days in collecting plants and insects. At Rio de Janeiro 

 they remained a fortnight, experiencing the utmost kindness from the in- 

 habitants, especially from the English residents, and revelled in a tropical 

 vegetation. From Brazil they proceeded round Cape Horn to the Island 

 of Juan Fernandez, where they landed, and found inhabited only by a few 

 adventurers, who make a livelihood by killing and curing the cattle, which 

 are so plentiful there. All that remains of the Spanish colony, besides 

 these cattle, are the battery and the church ; for the place is scarcely visit- 

 ed by strangers, now that Valparaiso is thrown open by the independence 

 of Chili. Thence they sailed to the Gallapagos, uninteresting in a commer- 

 cial point of view, but abounding in natural, especially animal productions, 

 which would merit much greater attention than our naturalists were able 

 to bestow upon them. The mouth of the Columbia was the place to which 

 they next steered their course ; but the weather they encountered on ap- 

 proaching the coast of California was more changeable than any they had 

 experienced in the former part of their voyage ; and after six weeks of very 

 severe storms, they at length came to an anchor in Baker's Bay, Columbia 

 River, on the 8th of April 1825. As they had seen no natives during the 

 first day of their arrival, they made a short excursion into the neighbour- 

 ing woods, proceeding to the distance of some miles in a northerly direc- 

 tion, but still without seeing even the traces of Indians. The plant here 

 which first attracted their attention, was the Gaultheria Shallon, crowned 

 with its beautiful roseate flowers. From seeds of this plant, gathered as 

 well by Mr Douglas as by Mr Scouler, individuals have been raised, per- 

 haps for the first time in Britain, at the Botanic Garden at Glasgow. On 

 the second day their impatient curiosity was gratified by the arrival of se- 

 veral canoes with Indians. These were, all of them, of moderate height, 

 and few had straight limbs; they had high cheek-bones and flat heads, 

 whilst many of the children were still bandaged about the heads with the 

 boards which, by constant pressure upon the infant's skull, gives it that 

 peculiar form which is characteristic of the principal families of the coun- 

 try. The dress of the people consisted of a broad sugar-loaved shaped hat, 

 painted with different colours, and, for a cloak, their only covering, a robe 

 made of the skins of a species of marmot, reaching from their shoulders to 

 their ancles. This robe is common to the women as well as to the men ; 



