MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. DAVID DOUGLAS. 
showed at all times the utmost kindness, 
made him known to the Colonial Office, 
gave him most important instructions at 
the Greenwich Observatory, and found in 
him so apt and so grateful a pupil, that a 
cordial friendship was established, which 
continued to the last. The original plan 
of his route was communicated to me by 
Mr. Douglas, in a letter bearing date, 
London, August 6th, 1829. 
“I am sure. you will be glad to know 
that my anticipated journey has been laid 
before the Council, and approved of; so 
that I go, God willing, on the 15th of Sep- 
tember, by the Hudson Bay Company's 
Ship Eagle. My plans must be a separate 
communication, but just let me say, that 
my principal objects are to make known 
the vegetable treasures of the Interior of 
California, from the northern boundaries of 
Mexico, near the head of the Gulf. The 
botanical productions of Rio Colorado and 
other streams, totally unknown in Europe, 
will, I trust, ere many years, be as familiar 
as those of the Columbia. The Govern- 
ment provides me with every instrument 
which Captain Sabine, as Secretary of the 
Royal Society thinks may be of use. These 
Consist of sextants, chronometers, barome- 
ters, thermometers, hygrometers, compasses 
0 all Sorts, instruments for magnetic in- 
tensity, dip of the magnetic needle, all of 
Which can be used with such accuracy, as 
will render my journey, as I trust, not the 
Journey of a common-place tourist. 
“Tam not quite certain, but that when 
I have completed my expedition on the 
Continent of America, I may cross to the 
°pposite shore, and return in a southerly 
line, near the Russian frontier with China. 
What a glorious prospect! Thus not only 
the plan » but a series of observations 
. Y 99 produced, the work of the same 
individua] on both Continents, with the 
Same ‘struments, under similar circum- 
tmd and in corresponding latitudes! 
Ei do not indulge my hopes too far. 
| e tfo et à hundred pairs of feet, 
TEN many of hands to work for me, and 
143 
shall make them grub up and bring me all 
they can find. People tell me that Siberia 
is like a rat-trap, which there is no diffi- 
culty in entering, but from which it is not 
so easy to find egress. I mean at least to 
put this saying to the test. And I hope 
that those who know me know also that 
trifles will not stop me. I am glad to learn 
you are coming to England, before I go, 
that I may see you once more. I shall be 
greatly obliged if you would purchase for 
me a Bible, in 2 vols. 8vo., with a good 
bold legible type, and notes of reference, 
or more properly speaking, marginal notes, 
I cannot see to read small type, and have 
been unable to find such an one in Lon- 
don, but I know there is a Scotch edition 
of the kind which I describe. I intend to 
procure the skulls of dogs, wolves, and bears 
for Scouler; but none of men, for fear he 
should make a second voyage to the North- 
west coast, and find mine bleached in some 
canoe, ‘ because I stole from the dead,’ as 
my old friends on the Columbia would say,” 
Mr. Douglas here refers to Dr. Scouler’s 
having carried away from the Columbia 
River, the preserved skulls of two Che- 
nooks, on account of the singular mode in 
which, by compressing the frontal bone in 
infancy, the heads of these people are made 
to assume a conical, almost sugar-loaf ap- 
pearance. The indignation of the natives 
was much roused on this occasion, and Dr, 
Scouler would probably have met with 
very rough treatment, if he had not defer- 
red this robbery for the sake of science to 
the very night previous to the vessel’s sail- 
ing from the Columbia River, by which he 
was carried out of the reach of their re- 
sentment, 
Extracts from two other letters, now be- 
fore me, written previous to his departure, 
will perhaps be read with interest ; and if 
it shall appear that I have suffered any 
to come before the public which 
was only intended for a private communi- 
cation, I trust that my motive in so doing - 
will not be attributed to personal vanity, 
but to the real cause—my desire to com- 
memorate the generosity of Mr. Douglas’ 
