4 BERTHOLD SEEMANN. 
aud accumulating large collections of plants and other objects of natural 
history. During his stay of eight mouths, he became familiar with thg 
whole of the islands, and addressed a series of letters to the * Athenæum ' 
and ‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle’ regarding them. These letters were reprinted 
in many home and colonial newspapers, and translated into French and 
German ; they gave a vivid picture of Dr. Seemann’s dealings and inter- 
course with the natives; his success in conjunction with Mr. W. T. Pritchard, 
in saving the lives of five hundred people, who had been doomed to death, 
to commemorate the coming of age of the son of the Chief Kuruduadua ; 
his ascent of Vorua and Buku Levu, two peaks never before climbed by auy 
white man ; of the scenery and vegetation ; and of the customs and manners 
of the cannibal tribes amongst whom he found himself. The substance of 
the letters, together with much additional matter and Dr. Seemann’s offi- 
cial report “On the Resources and Vegetable Products of Fiji,” which 
had been presented to both Honses of Parliament, was incorporated in a 
separate book published in 1862, under the title of * Viti: an Account of 
a Government Mission to the Vitian or Fijiau Islands.’ A catalogue of 
all known plants of the group was printed in an appendix to this work, 
and some new species were described by Seemann in his ‘ Bonplandia,’ 
but he determined to produce a complete systematic book on the Fijian 
flora, and, in 1865, commenced the publication of the ‘ Flora Vitiensis.’ 
This is a quarto, and intended to be completed in ten parts, with a dr 
coloured plates by Fitch. Dr. Seemann has not lived to see it as 
whole, though he has finished his share in it; nine parts are before the 
botanical publie, and the tenth and concluding number, which includes 
the Cryptogams by various botanists, and an introduction and appendix, 
is expected to appear immediately. The * Flora Vitiensis' contains the 
results not only of Dr. Seemann's own explorations, but those of all the 
other expeditions to the South Seas from Captain Cook's first voyage till 
the present time. It is the first time that the synonymy and characters 
of these have been properly and faithfully worked up, and Dr. Seemann's 
book must be the foundation of any future general Flora of the Tropical 
Pacific islands. 
The * Journal of Botany, British and Foreign’ was commenced at the 
E of 1863, on the relinquishment of the * Bonplandia, of which it 
in some sort a continuation, adapted to the couutry in which it was 
published. The first five volumes were published by Mr. Hardwicke, of 
Piccadilly, and volumes six and seven by Lovell Reeve and Co. As is 
well known to most of our readers, Dr. Seemann conducted this Journal 
at a considerable loss, and, at the end of 1869, this loss and his many 
other engagements determined him to give it up. A strong effort was, 
however, made by some of the leading English botanists to keep the 
Journal alive, and Dr. Seemann availed himself of the proffered assistance 
of Mr. Baker, of Kew, and Dr. Trimen, of the British Museum, in his |. 
editorial duties. The last two volumes (eight, and ^ have been pub. | 
lished by Messrs. EU and Co. 
