The Schomburgks in Guiana. 15 



in view in his examination of this part of the world, 

 objects, which before his travels lay enveloped in 

 obscurity. But already had he, before he set out on this 

 expedition, given proofs of the courage with which he 

 executed it, in a manner no less noble though different. 

 Fighting long and manfully against all impediments and 

 oppositions thrown in his way, he formed himself his 

 own scientific education. That which is not to be 

 extracted from books was furnished to him by his life in 

 the open air, by the sight of the starry heavens in the 

 tropical world, and by his immediate contact with living 

 nature/' 



The King of Prussia decorated SCHOMBURGK with the 

 Order of the Red Eagle, and sent him a letter in which 

 His Majesty assured him of the great interest he had 

 taken in his researches. 



The work of the Geographical Society having been 

 accomplished in such a satisfactory manner, our traveller 

 was engaged as " Commissary for surveying the bounda- 

 ries of British Guiana," half of the expense to be borne 

 by the colony and the remainder by the home govern- 

 ment. The despatch from Downing Street with infor- 

 mation of his appointment was read in the Court of 

 Policy on the 29th of October 1840, at a time when the 

 relations between the planters and the government 

 were so antagonistic, that everything emanating from 

 Downing Street was like the proverbial " red rag" to the 

 landed interest. The matter was ordered to be brought 

 up with the estimates, but Governor LlGHT in a letter to 

 Lord RUSSELL, stated his belief that the Combined 

 Court would refuse to pay any part of the expenses of 

 the Mission. The reply of the Secretarv of State to this 



