98 Bushy' s Visit to the Vineyards qfSjpain^ ^r. 



government for the Sydney Garden ; and requested permission 

 to have them immediately packed and shipped for the colony 

 for that purpose. This accommodation being granted, 



" I set about having the plants transferred to more substantial packages, 

 and packed in sand and earth, in order to enable them to sustain the vegetation 

 vi'hich would result from the hot weather in passing the tropics. By the in- 

 vitation of Mr. Richard Cunningham, then of the Koyal Gardens of Kew, 

 and since, fortunately for the colony, appointed Colonial Botanist of New 

 South Wales, I transferred the cases to Kew, where Mr. Cunningham him- 

 self superintended their packing ; and I feel persuaded that to his care I am, 

 in a great measure, indebted for the excellent condition in which they arrived 

 at Sydney. Mr. Cunningham also found the cuttings sufficiently long to afford 

 a short cutting from each. These he took the trouble to plant out in open 

 boxes, and before leaving England he had shipped them on board the Camden 

 convict ship for Sydney, in such excellent condition, that he expresses himself 

 as having no doubt of their safe arrival ; and he is also confident that the 

 deficiencies in the first importation may be made good from them. Should 

 Mr. Cunningham's anticipations in this respect be realised, I will have the 

 satisfaction of having transferred to the colony, without any expense to the 

 public, and almost in a complete state, a national collection of vines, which it 

 was for three quarters of a century the favourite project of writers on agri- 

 culture, and agricultural societies in France, to collect, and which was at 

 length accomplished at a very considerable expense to the country, by the 

 Count de Chaptal, when Minister of the Interior under Buonaparte," 



The volume concludes with a catalogue of 454 varieties of 

 grape; all of which were, on January 22. 1833, alive in the 

 botanic garden at Sydney ; and most of them in the highest 

 health and vigour, owing to the great care and zeal of our cor- 

 respondent Mr. M'Lean, then acting as curator previously to 

 the arrival of Mr. Cunningham. 



Independently of the instruction which we have received from 

 this little volume, we have been much gratified by its perusal on 

 several accounts ; the patriotic views, the indefatigable industry, 

 and the zeal of Mr. Busby ; the kind and hospitable reception 

 which he everywhere experienced ; and, contrary to the selfish 

 maxims which used to be thought politic between persons of the 

 same trade or pursuit, the liberal and unreserved manner in 

 which every description of information that he sought for was 

 given to him, and not only information, but plants, cuttings, and 

 seeds. When we consider that all this happened in a country 

 like Spain, where the cultivators, with the exception of foreigners, 

 are remarkable for their ignorance ; and in France, where the 

 people, only a few years ago, were considered by the first British 

 statesmen as " our natural enemies," there is surely evidence of 

 improvement ; and we cannot help anticipating in our mmds 

 what the progress of this improvement will one day lead to, 

 when commerce and every description of intercourse shall be 

 more frequent and free. 



