KEW GARDENS GEORGE III 97 



made in company with Thunberg, 1 who had been sent 

 out with a similar mission by the Dutch Government. 

 This was a very fortunate circumstance for Masson, for 

 Thunberg was not only a capable botanist, but companion- 

 able, and highly accomplished. They got as far as the 

 Kaffir country, whence they were compelled to return 

 from a successful botanic trip in consequence of the 

 hostility of the natives. 



In December, 1774, Masson sallied forth again upon 

 another dangerous journey. He reached a point over 

 five hundred miles northward from Cape Town, and 

 brought away a superb collection of plants and shrubs. 

 Four hundred new species of plants were consigned to 

 Kew, and reached their new home safely. Among 

 the more important of these were specimens of the beauti- 

 ful Ericas, which have since flourished so well in this 

 country under careful culture. (Indeed, it may be said 

 that the Cape Ericas have greatly improved under 

 European cultivation ; many of them were originally 

 scrubby little plants whose chief merit was their novelty.) 



In 1776, Masson was back in London. He was received 

 with due honour. A paper of his was published in the 

 Philosophical Transactions, LXVI. Banks was overjoyed 

 at his success, and extolled everywhere Masson's zeal 

 and intelligence. 



Such was the beginning of a career that never flagged 

 in usefulness. He travelled in Portugal, again in South 

 Africa, and spent some years in the West Indies ; and 



1 Charles Peter Thunberg, afterwards Professor of Botany at 

 Upsala University ; member of twenty-four European learned societies, 

 including the Royal and the Linnean. He was in London in 1778 (v. 

 Resa uti Europa, Africa, Asia . . . 1770-79), where he found his old 

 fellow -student Dryander. He was taken to Banks's house, and received 

 by Solander " in the politest manner." Banks showed him all possible 

 attention. ..." I accordingly spent the forenoon of every day in his 

 house, and went all through his Herbarium, which was a most com- 

 modious as well as efficacious method of enlarging my stock of know- 

 ledge. . . . Several learned gentlemen assembled here as though it 

 were to an Academy of Natural History." 



H 



