Loss of Messrs. Wallace and Banks. 479 



by Professor Traill of the Edinburgh University : and this work on " Phy- 

 sical Geography " is in one volume 8vo, and published very recently here 

 by Messrs. Adam and Charles Black, booksellers. You will find in the 

 8vo work, at p. 226., a map containing the various species of plants, from 

 those that are subterranean, to those on the most lofty mountains in the world, 

 with a scale of the elevation in feet above the level of the sea. Professor Trail's 

 section (ix.)inthe same work, p. 226., and on the " Geographical Distribution 

 of Plants," is extremely curious and valuable ; and, I should think, unknown 

 to most young gardeners. I have taken the liberty of pointing out this work 

 to you, as you may not be aware of it; and it will afford me great pleasure 

 indeed, if this information is of any use to you. — A. M., being a frequent 

 Reader of the Gardener s Magazine. Edinburgh, Dec. 6. 1838. 



We take in that very excellent work, the new edition of the Encyclopaedia 

 Britannica. The article alluded to is certainly extremely interesting and in- 

 structive, and is well worth the perusal of gardeners ; but nothing short of a 

 list of species, taken from properly constructed local floras, would answer the 

 end which we have in view. — Cond. 



Art. V. Botanical Expedition to Columbia, and melancholy Loss of 

 Messrs. Wallace and Banks. 



These two collectors, who were sent from the gardens at Chatsworth in 

 March, 1838, were drowned on the 22d of October in the same year, in 

 endeavouring to pass one of the rapids on the Columbia river, when within a 

 few days' journey of their destination. The following notice of this expe- 

 dition, projected with a view to the discovery of new plants on the north- 

 west coast of North America, may be interesting to such of our readers 

 as do not see Paxton's Magazine of Botany, where the details are given at 

 length. 



Mr. Paxton, conceiving that much of the territory on the north-west coast 

 passed over by the late Mr. Douglas was but very imperfectly examined, and 

 therefore still presented an inviting and prolific field for research, designed 

 an expedition to these regions, the expenses and proceeds of which were to be 

 shared by a select number of subscribers. " This project was promulgated in 

 November, 1837, and " was immediately countenanced and supported by all 

 the more influential and distinguished patrons of horticulture, to whom appli- 

 cation was made." The management of the whole was intrusted to Mr. 

 Paxton, who " selected and prepared two intelligent, active, and enterprising 

 young men, Robert Wallace and Peter Banks, from the gardens at Chats- 

 worth, who left London in one of the Honourable Hudson's Bay Company's 

 vessels for New York, in March, 1838; carrying with them every requisite and 

 comfort for their voyage, and every facility for the promotion, as agreeably 

 and successfully as possible, of the objects of their subsequent tour." Mr. 

 Wallace appears to have been married, and to have taken his wife with him ; 

 a practice common among religious missionaries, but rather a new circum- 

 stance in the history of botanical collectors. The Hudson's Bay Company 

 afforded every assistance in their power, and that in the very handsomest 

 manner. They gave Messrs. Banks and Wallace a general letter of recom- 

 mendation, and a money credit, to and on all the agents in charge of the 

 district posts in the Hudson's Bay Company's service ; and it is from one of 

 their resident officers that the account of the melancholy loss of these young 

 men was received by the Company in London. 



Messrs. Wallace and Banks having arrived in New York, went thence to 

 Montreal, and next to La Chine, at a short distance from that town. Here 

 they were detained by ice till the 2d of May ; on which day they commenced 

 their route to the Columbia river, and the last letters received from them were 



