328 Memoir of Prof. Smith and Mr. Crunch. [May, 



for receiving specimens, and laboured in the collection of them 

 with redoubled diligence. His discoveries were very numerous 

 and important, and the remarks with which he accompanied 

 them extremely valuable ; many of them have already been laid 

 before the public, and Dr. Leacli gives us reason to hope that the 

 rest will appear in due time. 



When the expedition to the Zaire was planned, Mr. Cranch 

 was immediately thought of as a person in all respects peculiarly 

 fitted for the undertaking ; and when the offer was made to him 

 he immediately accepted it, although, as we are told, " not with- 

 out some painful struggles to his feelings,*' in consequence of 

 a presentiment that he should never return. This impression did 

 not, however, cause him to relax his ardour, nor did it render 

 him less active, during the very short period in which he was 

 enabled to devote himself to the objects of his voyage. Indeed 

 to the great exertions which he made upon his arrival at the 

 Zaire, we may, perhaps, ascribe the early date of his disease ; 

 his fever commenced on Aug. 23, while the expedition was 

 traversing the banks of the river, in that part where the naviga- 

 tion is intercepted by the rapids. He was carried back to the 

 navigable part of the stream in a hammock, on the shoulders of 

 the natives, and conveyed thence in a canoe to the ships, being 

 altogether ten days in the passage. We are informed that the 

 symptoms of his complaint " were an extreme langour and 

 general exhaustion ; a restlessness and anxiety, approaching at 

 times to delirium ; but he had no pain, except an uneasy sensation 

 throughout the abdomen ; the countenance became of a dirty 

 yellow colour, the pulse was at 108, and very small. The next 

 day he was much worse, and on the third day the whole body 

 became yellow ; the countenance assumed a deadly aspect, the 

 pulse at the wrist imperceptible ; and in the evening he expired, 

 after uttering a devout prayer for the welfare of his family, and 

 with the name of his wife quivering on his lips." 



Cranch exhibits a very remarkable example of the force of 

 original genius, manifesting itself, as it were, spontaneously, at 

 an early period of life, and, in spite of every discouragement, 

 becoming developed in an unusual degree. It is the more sin- 

 gular, because the study of natural history is one which is 

 generally found to require every extrinsic aid for its attainment ; 

 not like the pursuit of mere objects of taste, which depends prin- 

 cipally on the unassisted efforts of the imagination, and the other 

 intellectual faculties. When we reflect upon the progress which 

 Cranch had made in the various branches of natural knowledge, 

 under the circumstances in which he was placed, and before he 

 had attained his 31st year, we may fairly conclude that had he 

 lived to the usual term of human life, he would have arrived at a 

 very high degree of eminence. In his moral qualities we have 

 much to admire, but at the same time something to regret. 

 He is represented as having been " a sincere Christian, an 



