xxxviii President's Address. [J^i^ly 28, 



voyage (1772). On" the return of the expedition in 1775-6, Sparrmann 

 resumed his Cape collecting, and made an extensive tour in the interior, 

 when, to quote Thunberg again, " inc/ens herbarmm Capense reportavit.'" 

 Sonnerat also, under Thunberg' s guidance, made the usual fljdng re- 

 connaissance of Table Mountain during the few weeks of his vessel's 

 stay in the harbour. Lady Anne Monson, similarly directed by Thun- 

 berg and Masson, improved the shining hours of a similar break in 

 her voyage to India. Our author, however, with unconscious ironj^, 

 speaks of her collections in somewhat depreciatory terms. " Curiosa 

 varia congessit,^'' that is, they were ladies' specimens. Lieutenant 

 Paterson undertook an extensive journey into Namaqualand, and is 

 said to have sent to England many of the curious succulents of that 

 part of the country. 



In March, 1775, Thunberg left the Cape for Java, and there fortune, 

 who had hitherto proved an unkind stepmother, seemed to change. 

 He was promoted to a full naval surgeoncy, and was ordered to the 

 Dutch settlement in Japan. By August in the same year he was settled 

 at Nagasaki, and being acting physician to the Dutch Legation, 

 which annually proceeded with presents to Jeddo, he had the oppor- 

 tunity of passing through a country at that time jealously closed to 

 foreigners. Well knowing the difficulty thrown hitherto in the waj' 

 of further explorations in any but the immediate neighbourhood of 

 the Dutch factory, he made vast collections in every kind, and trans- 

 mitted them to his teacher and friend Linna3us. After a stay of six- 

 teen months he returned to Java, visited the neighbouring islands, 

 collecting with unabated enthusiasm, and then, before the close of the 

 year, passed over to Ceylon. In April, 1778, he sailed for the Cape 

 of Good Hope, whether intending to return thence to Europe does not 

 clearly appear. He found a surprise awaiting him. His indefatig- 

 able zeal for science had raised up friends and brought him fame. 

 Letters were placed in his hands appointing him Demonstrator in 

 Botany to the Boyal Academy at Upsal, and conferring on him mem- 

 bership in four learned societies. Ho returned to Holland, thence 

 visited England, being well received by Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Solander, 

 Dryander, and the Ai'ons at Kew. Einally, he reached his native 

 land, March, 1779, after an absence of nine years, and began his 

 academic duties at Upsal. 



Linna)us the younger, who had followed in his father's footsteps, 

 passihus hand cequis, died in 1783, and Thunberg was selected to fill the 

 vacant chair of Botany. It was just then that tlie widow of the elder 

 Linnaeus had made that famous bargain witli the young Englisli 

 botanist, Sir James Edward Smith, wliereby she sold the unique and 

 priceless herbarium of her deceased husband for shipment to England. 

 In vain the Swedish Grovernment sent a swift corvette in chase of the 

 vessftl in which it had been consigned, charged to capture the treasure 

 at all risks. It was lost to Sweden, and Thunberg, to fill the void, 

 offered his own very rich herbarium to the University. Life now seemed 

 to go easily with him. He remained at Upsal, teaching daily and 

 supervising the University Botanic Garden for many j^ears, secure in 

 tlie respect and esteem of the little world of Upsala, and the honour 

 of scientific men everywhere. Many curious traits of his some- 

 what eccentric habits liave been noted. He could not be per- 

 suaded to alter in any way the fashion of his attire so as to 

 follow the (Uistom of the day. He would on no account omit 



