2 2 Biographical Sketch 



In 1843 he began a course of Lectures on 

 Botany in the little insular town of Lerwick. 

 When laying his scheme before his father's 

 friend, Principal Barclay (then parish minister 

 of Lerwick), he said : " I should much wish 

 that my feeble voice was first heard in my 

 native islands." 



The lectures and botanical excursions were 

 most popular, and he said, " this lecturing 

 business gets me into the habit of regular 

 systematic working." He was always alive 

 to his own deficiencies (a certain want of 

 methodical order being one) and anxious to 

 correct the defect. 



In 1844 we find him giving a series of 

 lectures on botany at Elgin and at Forres. 

 I give here a few extracts from papers of the 

 time. 



Elgin Courant. " Mr Edmondston delivered 

 his introductory lecture on Botany in the 

 Museum here to a highly select audience. 

 He explained in a clear and perspicuous 

 manner, and with much ease and energy of 

 delivery, and also great eloquence of lan- 

 guage first, the direct utility of a scientific 

 knowledge of plants as conducive to the 

 welfare of man ; and secondly, recommended 



