156 THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 



his departure in studying Wyeth's collections and his own 

 Arkansas plants. 



Nuttall and John K. Townsend, sent out jointly by the 

 American Philosophical Society and the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, joined Captain Wyeth's party at Independence, 

 Missouri, from which place they started April 28, 1834. 

 The account of the journey is given in Townsend's "Narrative 

 of a Journey across the Rocky Mountains to the Columbia 

 River," etc. On September 3d, they began to descend the 

 Columljia, reaching Fort A^ancouver. Here the two natu- 

 ralists remained for the rest of the autumn exploring the 

 surrounding country. Later, desiring to pass the winter 

 months in a warmer climate, they took passage on a Boston 

 brig for the Sandwich Islands, where they arrived January 

 5, 1835. 



Nuttall remained two months collecting plants and 

 shells, and then, separating from his companion, sailed for 

 California. He spent the spring and summer on the Pacific 

 Coast, then returned to the Sandwich Islands, sailing 

 home on a Boston vessel returning by way of Cape Horn. 

 He arrived home in October, 1835, and lived in Philadel- 

 phia, where he studied the rich collections made on his 

 long journey. Two important memoirs, the fruits of the 

 trip across the continent, were published in the Transactions 

 of the American Philosophical Society. 



" Nuttall Avas a remarkable-looking man. His head 

 w^as very large, l)ald, and bore signs of a vigorous intellect ; 

 his forehead was expansive, but his features small, and his 

 gray eyes looked out from under fleshy brows. His com- 

 plexion was fair, and sometimes very pale from close 

 application to study and lack of exercise. He was above 



