CONCLUSION. 415 



generality of men are very dull company after the first 

 few days ; they have exhausted their little store of con- 

 versation, and, having no newspapers and clubhouses to 

 supply them with fresh matter, they have absolutely 

 nothing to say, even their autobiographies refusing to 

 yield any new or interesting matter. 



The collections I had dispatched to Sydney had safely 

 arrived and were well taken care of by Mr. Moore, the 

 director of the Botanic Garden. As the ' Jeddo,' the 

 next " Peninsular and Oriental " steamer for England, did 

 not leave before the 22nd of December, I took advan- 

 tage of my stay to arrange and repack my treasures, and 

 Mr. Moore's library and commodious premises were of 

 the greatest service to me for that purpose. I remained 

 all the time Mr. Moore's guest, as I had been on a for- 

 mer occasion, and enjoyed very much the fine garden 

 in which his house is situated. Mr. Moore delivers every 

 season a series of lectures on botany, and during my stay 

 the distribution of prizes took place in the presence of 

 a numerous assembly. Dr. George Bennett having only 

 recently given a graphic description of the Sydney garden 

 in his ' Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia,' I 

 shall not dwell on a subject to me so tempting, and one 

 that confers great credit upon the zealous director of 

 the institution. 



Leaving Sydney on the 22nd of December, we made 

 Melbourne on Christmas Eve, and King George's Sound 

 on the 31st of December. Thence my voyage led to 

 Point de Galle, Ceylon, Egypt, and Malta, whence I took 

 the French steamer and paid a visit to Sicily and Italy, 

 ascending Vesuvius in company of Mr. and Mrs. George 



