August 23, 1877. 1 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



157 



motive, and gladdened by the joyful sounds of progress and 

 civilisation, was then the hunting field of the Indian and the 

 scene of many a bloody conflict. Where now the ploughshare 

 and the pruning-hook pursue their quiet and ennobling course 

 the soalping-knife and tomahawk savagely reigned. Few now 

 can realise what a traveller like John Fraser had then to 

 undergo. 



After his return to this country in 1796 he visited Russia, 

 taking with him a large collection of plants, the result of his 

 labours in Amerioa. These he submitted to the Empress 

 Catherine, who so highly appeciated their value and esteemed 

 the character of the man that she requested him to set his 



own price upon them, which was accepted. After the death of 

 the Empress Catherine he was requested again to viBit Russia, 

 when he received commissions from the Empress Maria to 

 supply further collections to the Imperial Gardens of Gatschina 

 and Perlorskoe ; and such was the favour with which the 

 imperial court regarded him, that in 1798 an ukase was 

 issued, signed " Paul and Maria," appointing him their bo- 

 tanical collector. TMb gave a fresh impulse to his untiriEg 

 spirit, and in 1799 he for the sixth time crossed the Atlantic, 

 accompanied on this occasion by his son John, to proseoute 

 in the Northern and Southern States that discovery in whioh 

 he had already been so successful. Having on this expedition 



penetrated to the far west, it was on the summit of the Great 

 Roa, or Bald Mountain, that he discovered the Rhododendron 

 Catawbienee. Speaking of this occasion the son told the 

 writer of this, "I shall never forget so long as I live the 

 day we discovered that plant. We had been for a long time 

 travelling among the mountains, and one morning we were as- 

 cending to the summit of the Great Roa, in the midst of a fog 

 so dense that we could not see further than a yard before us. 

 As we reached the top the fog began to clear away, and the 

 sun to shine out brightly. The first object that attracted our 

 eye, growing among the long grass, was a large quantity of 

 Rhododendron Catawbiense in full bloom. There was no other 

 plant there but itself and the grass, and the scene was beau- 

 tiful. The Bize of the plants varied from seedlings to about 

 2 feet in height, the habit being evidently diminutive from 

 the high altitude at which they grew. We supplied ourselves 



with living plants, which were transmitted to England; all of 

 which grew and were sold for five guineas each." 



On the termination of this journey through the States th( y 

 visited Cuba in 1800, but on account of the war which then 

 existed between Spain and Great Britain they were obliged 

 to procure passports and travel aB American citizens. On the 

 voyage they were wrecked on a coral reef, about forty miles 

 from land and eighty from Havannah. For six days they, with 

 sixteen of the crew, endured the greatest privations, until 

 picked up by a Spanish boat and conveyed to land. Through 

 the interest of the American consul they were allowed to pro- 

 ceed overland to Havannah, where they met with the celebrated 

 travellers Humboldt andBonpland, from whom they received 

 the greatest kindness, and to whom they communicated tbe 

 nature of their journey. Humboldt relating in confidence to 

 the Spanish Governor that they were Englishmen and bota- 



