10 Bulletin of the rniversitxj of Texas 



w^nrd defraying ^"riglit s expenses, in consideration of wliieli 

 it was to be entitled to a full set of the plants collected. (*) 



Although Wright 's explorations into this western region were 

 fostered by United States troops — for without their protection 

 the journey would have been impossible — and notwithstanding 

 the fact that a part of the expenses were borne by the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, all botanical work in Texas thus far has been 

 accomplished through private enterprise. To their love for 

 science, and to that alone, may Ave attribute the work of Lind- 

 heimer, Roemer, and Charles Wright. Enduring many priva- 

 tions and hardships, and with no other hope of reward than 

 the satisfaction of having coutributed to the enrichment of the 

 botanical knowledge concerning a region practically unknown, 

 they toiled faithfully and persistently on. 



Beginning with the Mexican Boundary survey (1848-1855) 

 the Federal Government inaugurated a plan that in cbnnection 

 with a series of expeditions into this western region resulted in 

 the accumulation of a vast amount of scientific data upon which 

 numerous publications were afterwards based. Under this plan 

 the various corps of engineers engaged in this and subsequent 

 surveys were usually accompanied by a scientific specialist 

 whose duty it was to report upon the natural history of the 

 region traversed. In some instances, in the absence of a natural- 

 ist detailed especially for this task, the surgeon of the party 

 acted in his capacity. These natural history reports, in so far 

 as they pertain to botany, were accompanied by large collec- 

 tions of plants and constitute a most valuable addition to the 

 botany of Texas. 



A little more than a year after his first botanical tour from 

 San Antonio to El Paso, Charles Wright had an opportunity 

 for further explorations in this section. In the. spring of 1851, 

 partly as botanist and partly as one of the surveyors, he ac- 

 companied the party under Col. Graham, sent out by the De- 

 partment of the Interior to survey and determine the United 

 States and Mexican Boundary from the Rio Grande to the 



*Sniith. Inst. 1846-1896. A history of its first half centui-y 

 p. I 06. 



