Information respecting Botanical Travellers. 57 



IX. — Information respecting Botanical Travellers. 



Unio Itineraria. 

 The following appeal to the friends of natural historj^ and of bo- 

 tany in particular, has recently been published and circulated by the 

 Directors of that highly useful Society the " Unio Itineraria," and 

 we trust it will not be made in A'ain. This Society affords an inesti- 

 mable opportunity for botanists to enrich their herbaria with plants 

 of great rarity from various parts of the world, collected at much 

 expense, at great risk, preserved with the greatest care, and named 

 by naturalists who are competent to this task, and we do trust 

 that some of our readers will be induced by the following statement 

 to come forward and encourage so useful and scientific an insti- 

 tution. Our friend, John Hunneman, Esq., 9 Queen Street, Soho, 

 London, will forward the names and subscriptions to the Directors, 

 and will receive and distribute the different collections, so that 

 those who may wish to possess these .plants will be put to no 

 trouble on this account. — Sir W. J, Hooker. 



Particulars respecting M. Schimper's Abyssinian Journey. 

 The important results of the journey to Egypt and Arabia encou- 

 raged us to extend the original plan, so as, if possible, to embrace 

 Abyssinia, according to our notice of December, 1836. This coun- 

 try is so interesting, whether as regards its geographical situation 

 or physical structure, the latter having procured it the name of the 

 African Switzerland, and has hitherto been so superficially examined, 

 that we hoped it would excite the curiosity of scientific individuals 

 in general, as well as of the members of this Society ; and trusting 

 to receive the needful participation and support, we provided the 

 traveller with such a sum of money as appeared requisite. But al- 

 though our hopes were tolerably well fulfilled, so far as regarded 

 the members of the Unio, and we received sufficient subscriptions to 

 cover the first outlay, as originally calculated, yet it shortly proved 

 that the expedition was attended with far heavier cost than had been 

 anticipated. Circumstances of detention arose : — the traveller found 

 it needful to provide himself with presents, wherewith he might pro- 

 pitiate favour and obtain leave to proceed. Sometimes indeed the 

 offering of these is no matter of choice, but of compulsion. Thus, 

 even before entering the country which he was to explore, our tra- 

 veller was obliged to have recourse to an English Consular Agent, 

 who kindly assisted him, in his present necessities with money upon 

 our credit. Schimper is now in the interior of the country, at 

 Adowa in Abyssinia. He has conciliated the favour of one of the 



