144 
heart, and his grateful disposition when- 
ever any act of kindness was shown him. 
Greenwich, Sept. 14, 1829. 
* [ am exceedingly engaged in my pre- 
parations, and will soon be ready. The 
vessel is to sail not later than the end of 
this month, which delights me amazingly. 
I go under most comfortable circumstances, 
and am certainly very happy. All my in- 
struments are ready, save the chronometer, 
which I hope to be in possession of within 
a few days, all packed and ready to be sent 
on board ship at an hour's notice. Nothing 
pleases me so much as the addition of £20 
which has been given me by the Colonial 
Office ; I asked for £60 to provide books, 
tables, and charts, and they sent £80, as 
also some instruments, which, though pre- 
viously used by other persons, are in per- 
fectly good order. I ought to think my- 
Self a very lucky fellow, for indeed every 
person seems to take more interest than 
another in assisting me. I possess a beau- 
tiful assortment of barometers, so con- 
structed that, comparatively speaking, there 
is scarcely any liability of derangement, 
an object of most desirable attainment in 
these instruments. I shall combine obser- 
vations accurately made with the hygrome- 
ter on different altitudes on the mountains 
and in different latitudes, which will, I 
trust, furnish you with information that can 
be confidently relied on, and which will 
effect much in illustrating the Geography 
of Plants. I shall take great care of Fuci. 
You have heard from Dr. Mertens,! who 
doubtless told you of his splendid voyage. 
He possesses the gigantic sea-weed of 
which I spoke, and has named it Fucus 
Lutkeanus, after the captain of the vessel. 
I spent ten days with Captain Lutke here, 
and was highly pleased with him: he gave 
me letters to Baron Wrangel, Governor of 
the Russian Colonies in America, and of 
the Aleutian Isles, as also circulars to Si- 
beria. The Baron is a man of vast inform- 
! The son of Professor Mertens of Bremen, who ac- 
companied Capt. Lutke, as Naturalist, in the last Rus- 
Stan voyage of discovery. His account of Sitka is 
given at vol. 3, p. 12, of the Botanical Miscellany, 
MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. DAVID DOUGLAS. 
ation, and joins heart and hand 
those who have scientific views. I 
a few days with Dr. Mertens, and : 
gladly have accompanied him to S. 
to see his drawings, had I had the ti 
spare. He tells me that he found a s 
species of shrubby Pyrola, a more 
Hudson Bay Company's ship on the. 
bar at the entrance of the Columbi 
with the loss of every individual on 
forty-six in number, on the 11th í 
last ? 
late Captain was First- Mate. 
that those who escaped from the 
were destroyed by my old frie 
Chenooks. This may be true, 
confess I entertain some doubts, fo 
weeks and months. 
ever, of obtaining the wreck, maj 
overcome their better (if indeed they 
sess any) feelings. Though this 1s far 
agreeable news, and though the 
my new Captain (Grave) may sound 
ous, I shall yet venture among these 
once again. I doubt not I can do as | 
as most people, and perhaps ! 
some who make a parade about it. 4 
write every day and write every 
that my drivelling will return home, 
perhaps I may not. 
“I shall feel the greatest ples " 
communicating with Dr. Richards 
will be quite a comfort to place any ¢ 
discoveries in the hands of Ee 
give them so creditably to the wor 
“Tt is uncertain where I may " 
my passage out, or indeed if at 
ES proves to be the same plant, a 
Tolmiea occidentalis (Fl. Bor 
had been, a little time previously, 
Bongard, under the name of Cladothai 
