The Schomburgks in Guiana. 17 



observed before, if the Boundary Expedition has any 

 other aspect than colonial, it is only because by neglect- 

 ing to settle it, the mother country might at some future 

 period be involved in the expense of a war, in addition 

 to the continual expense of the ordinary protection of the 

 colony and the sacrifices submitted to by the consumers 

 in this country, for the promotion and encouragement of 

 its staple produce."* 



Meanwhile ROBERT SCHOMBURGK had commenced the 

 survey, assisted by Mr. GLASCOTT, and accompanied by 

 his brother RICHARD, who had been commissioned by 

 the Prussian Government to make collections for the 

 Royal Museum and the Botanical Gardens at Berlin. 

 The expedition left Georgetown on the 19th of April, 

 1 841, and proceeded to the river Waini, from thence 

 through the Mora Passage to the Barima, and after 

 careful explorations of these rivers from their mouths to 

 the sources, went to the Amacura, which was also care- 

 fully surveyed. Returning to the Waini the expedition 

 proceeded up that river to its affluent, the Barama, and 

 thence overland to the Cuyuni, arriving through this 

 river at 3artica, on 27th of July. 



During the three months and a half, they had travelled 

 over 700 miles, exposed to the torrents of a rainy 

 season; made 21 astronomical observations, and also 

 large collections of plants and natural history specimens. 

 Richard Schomburgk had great difficulties in pre- 

 serving he collections, but the results were on the 

 whole very encouraging. A large quantity of living 

 Orchids, including a very fine Coryanthes (C. 

 macrantha ?J, that had been entrusted to the Cap- 

 * Minutes of Court of Policy. 



C 



