FRANCIS HAMILTON (ONCE BUCHANAN). ix 
pon have been, and we further gather both from Symes and from various papers 
published by Buchanan himself while in India and after he had retired, that he 
made the most of the opportunities afforded by this journey not only in the matter of 
direct observation but in the way of acquiring information by questioning the more 
intelligent inhabitants of the country with whom he came in contact. Though only 
one passage is given by Symes in Buchanan’s own words’ we are told that a good 
deal of the geographical as distinguished from the political fruit of this nfission was 
the outcome cf Buchanan’s assiduity. There are also, in Symes’ narrative, incidental 
references to Buchanan’s work as a botanical collector and a number of the more 
interesting species of plants obtained during the journey, of which drawings had 
been made on the spot, were selected for publication and described, so Symes says, 
by Sir Joseph Banks, as а portion of Symes’ work. His correspondence with 
Roxburgh began during this journey though only one of the letters in Hoxburgh's 
collection, dated Rangoon, 21st May, 1795, belongs to this period. It is too technical 
for reproduction in full but the closing passage:— 
“any of the seeds you think worth the planting in your garden I beg you may use; the others, 
if any opportunity offers, be so obliging as to send to Smith in my name," 
is interesting owing to its reference to his friend the founder of the Linnean Society. 
On his return from Burma, Buchanan was posted to Luckipoor (Lakshmipur) the 
head-quarters of the present district of Noakhali in South-Eastern Bengal. His actual 
residence was at Puttahaut six miles north of Luckipoor and, except for occasional 
visits to Commillah, Chittagong and Calcutta, he was here during the latter half cf 
1796, the whole of 1797, and a considerable part of 1798. He was, as we learn 
from his letters, in constant correspondence with Roxburgh,’ who took a great interest 
in Buchanan’s welfare and career, and did much to push his fortunes at the outset 
of his Indian service. 
Shortly after settling at Puttahaut he applied unsuccessfully to be allowed to 
return to Pegu. Besides travelling in the district and crossing the Megna to make 
occasional botanical excursions in the Eastern Sundribuns we find that he busied 
himself with the arrangement of his Burmese notes and papers. Thus, іп а letter 
dated Puttahaut August 13th, 1796, he says :— | | 
“I have finished my account of the Pegu plants some time ago and would have sent it up 
but am іп daily expectation of bringing it up myself. It has turned out much longer than I 
1 Asiatick Researches, vols. v. & vi; Edin’. Phil. Journ., vols. ii, Hi, iv, Yo ті, vii, ir, х.;е Edinb. 
Journ. Sci. 1. 
? A note on the rivers of Burma; Symes: Embassy, p. 241. | 
3 Е. д, Symes: Embassy, p. 497, where reference is made to Buchanan’s search for the Launzan tree, which 
was also the subject of a short paper (Asiatick Researches, vol. v.) by Buchanan himself, and which now 
perpetuates his memory by having been made the type of the genus Buchanania, 
4 Symes: Embassy, р. 473. Descriptions of rare and curious plants, selected by the President cf the 
Royal Society. We know, however, from Puchanan's letters to Roxburgh, and from his own published papers, 
that he prepared a full account of the collection made in Burma and that what Symes says Banks did was 
really entirely Buchanar's work. | d 
5 The following 19 letters to Roxburgh belong to this period: 1706; August 13th, November 17th, December 14:h: 
1797; 18th February, 11th March, 1lth April, 10th May, 26th June, 6th July, 10th July, 19th July, 25th July, 2nd 
August, i7th August, 20th August, 4th September, one without date received by Roxburgh on 3rd October, 
30th November; 1798; 7th January. 
е 
