142 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. 



leyfield, the seat of Sir Robert Preston, Bart., then celebrates] for a choice 

 collection of exotics, and shortly afterwards went tu the Botanic Garden of 

 Glasgow. Here his fondness for plants attracted the notice of Dr.HooKER, 

 the Professor of Botany, whom he accompanied in his excursions through 

 the 'Western Highlands, aud assisted in collecting materials for the Flora 

 Scotica, with which Dr. Hooker was then engaged. This gentleman re- 

 commended him to the late Secretary of the Horticultural Society, Joseph 

 Sabine, Esq., as a botanical collector; and in 1823 he was despatched to 

 the United States, where he procured many fine plants, and greatly increased 

 the Society's collection of fruit trees. He returned in the autumn of the 

 same vear; and in 1824 an opportunity having offered, through the Hud- 

 son's Bay Company, of sending him to explore the botanical riches of the 

 country adjoining the Columbia river, and southwards towards California, 

 he sailed in July for the purpose of prosecuting this mission. In one of his 

 letters, now before us, he thus speaks on leaving England : — ' I had a fine 

 passage down the channel, and cleared the Land's End on the 1st of August. 

 The day was warm, with a clear sky; the evening cool and pleasant, I 

 stood on deck looking on the rocky shores of Cornwall, burnished with the 

 splendour of a setting sun — a noble scene. By degrees the goddess of night 

 threw her veil over it, and my delightful view of happy England closed — 

 probably closed for ever!' While the vessel touched at Rio de Janeiro, he 

 collected many rare orchideous plants and shrubs. Among the latter was a 

 new species of Gesner/a, which Mr. Sabine named, in honour of its disco- 

 verer, G. Douglasii. He was enraptured with the rich vegetation oi" a tro- 

 pical country. He stopped at Rio longer than he expected, and left it with 

 regret. In the course of his voyage round Cape Horn he shot many eurious 

 birds peculiar to the southern hemisphere, and prepared them for sending 

 home. On Christmas-day he reached the celebrated island of Juan Fernan- 

 dez, which he describes as ' an enchanting spot, very fertile, and delightfully 

 wooded. I sowed a large collection of garden seeds, and expressed a wish 

 they might prosper, and add to the comfort of a second edition of Robinson 

 Crusoe, should one appear.' He arrived at Fort Cancouver, on the Colum- 

 bia, on (he 7th of April, 1825. Here an extensive field presented itself to 

 him ; and the excellent manner in which he performed his duty to the Hor- 

 ticultural Society cannot be better exemplified than by referring to the vast 

 collections of seeds which from time to time he transmitted home, along with 

 dried specimens, beautifully preserved, and now forming part of the herba- 

 rium in the garden of the Society at Chiswick. * In the spring of 

 1S27 Mr. Douglas traversed the country from Fort Vancouver, across the 

 Rocky Mountains to Hudson's Bay, where he met Captain (now Sir) John 

 Franklin, Dr. Richardson, and Captain BACK, returning from their second 

 overland arctic expedition. With these gentlemen he came to England in 

 the autumn, bringing with him a variety of seeds, as well as specimens of 

 plants and other objects of natural history. Through the kindness of his 

 friend and patron Mr. Sabine, he was introduced to the notice of many of 

 the leading literary aud scientific characters in London ; and shortly after- 

 wards be was honoured by being elected, free of expense, a Fellow of the 

 Linnaeau, Geological, and Zoological Societies; to each of which he contri- 

 buted several papers, since published in their Transactions, eviuciug much 

 research and acuteuess as a naturalist. * * After being in Loudon for 

 two years, Mr. Douglas again sailed for Columbia in the autumn of 1829; 

 where he has since been enjoying his favourite pursuit, and adding largely 

 to his former discoveries. We were in expectation of his return by the very 

 ship which has brought us the tidings of his horrible death; an event the 

 more to be regretted from having been occasioned by circumstances which 

 we shudder to contemplate — that of falling into a pit made by the natives of 

 the Sandwich Islands for catching wild bulls, one of the latter being in it at 

 the time. Such, we understand, has been the unfortunate destiny of our 

 friend and countryman, at the early ago of thirty-six. Having known him 

 intimately from a boy, we feel a mournful pleasure in looking back to the 

 many agreeable hours we have spent in his society, and deeply deplore his 

 untimely fate." — West Briton and Cornuall Advertiser, April KM, 1835. 



