218 
themselves survey with admiration the co- 
pious blossoms of this stupendous tree 
because of their brilliant puniceous blood- 
red colour; and, long since, the pryin 
European visitor has regarded the timber 
as admirably adapted for ship-building, it 
being close-grained and of great durability. 
Nor were the verges of these forests 
wanting in evidences of the beauty of Flo- 
ra’s productions; for among others loving 
light and an occasional sun-beam, more 
than the inhabitants of the forest’s recess, 
may just be noticed the highly ornamental 
Drimys azillaris, or Winter-Bark of these 
islands, the Corynocarpus of Forster, a 
handsome tree, with large glossy laurel- 
hike foliage, the nuts of which the provi- 
dent Zealander is said to collect and store 
up against a year of scarcity; the Elo- 
carpus Hinau (Dicera dentata, Forst.), a 
timber-tree, growing to the height of sixty 
or seventy feet, and almost at every period 
of the year to be observed bearing its co- 
pious racemes of pure white flowers; the 
stately Dracophyllum latifolium (MSS.), 
a plant of Epacridee, frequently twenty 
feet high, in habit very like a Dracena; 
the Hartighsea spectabilis, Adr. Juss. (Tri- 
chilia spectabilis, Forst.), the pendent ra- 
cemes of whose flowers are borne on the 
older branches, and often on the trunk ; 
and the Phyllocladus trichomanoides (Br.) 
a Pine of graceful regular growth, furnish- 
ing an exceedingly valuable timber, which 
is much sought after for the decks of ships. 
Early in March, 1834, Mr. Cunningham 
returned to the Missionary Stations at 
the Bay of Islands, abundantly gratified 
with his tour to the western coast, and 
laden with an abundant harvest from his 
abours. Another and a more favourable 
season had now set in; he therefore, with 
ed energy, examined a second time 
the shores of the Bay, and the wooded 
banks of the several rivers it receives. In 
these final excursions he materially enrich- 
ed his collections, gathering more perfect 
specimens of many plants, than a previous 
season had afforded him. With the view 
of establishing them in the Botanic Garden 
at Sydney, he also applied himself to se- 
og 
A BRIEF BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF 
lecting certain living plants of the 
foliage, or beauty of their flowers, Re 
seedlings of these were chosen, and can 
ham’s departure for Port Jackson, 
Majesty’s Ship Alligator, having put 
Captain Lambert, about the close of A 
and after a passing call at Norfolk Islan 
he landed at Sydney on the 13th of Mi 
The duties of the garden and some mi 
nor excursions in the colony occupied i 
attention during the remainder of the ye 
At length, early in 1835, an explo 
expedition,! equipped on a grand sc 
! A brief notice of a little journey into the " 
and of the projected, but ill-fated expedition, is y 
expressed in a letter addressed to the Editor, dud 
is the mountain where Fie 
Fi 
Hook, Ex. Flora, t. 232) was first sas 
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seeds of it 
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so destroyed by damp as : pee that bas tan% 
: it and another spe 
hesitate between it and a so to meet at Tomah 
under the name ; 
though I unfortunately neglected to put 
