CONCLUSION. 415 
generality of men are very dull company after the first 
few days; they have exhausted their little store of con- 
versation, and, having no newspapers and clubhouses to 
supply them with fresh matter, they have absolutely 
nothing to say, even their autobiographies refusing to 
yield any new or interesting matter. 
The collections I had dispatched to Sydney had safely 
arrived and were well taken care of by Mr. Moore, the 
director of the Botanic Garden. As the ‘Jeddo,’ the 
next “ Peninsular and Oriental” steamer for England, did 
not leave before the 22nd of December, I took advan- 
tage of my stay to arrange and repack my treasures, and 
Mr. Moore’s library and commodious premises were of 
the greatest service to me for that purpose. I remained 
all the time Mr. Moore’s guest, as I had been on a for- 
mer occasion, and enjoyed very much the fine garden 
in which his house is situated. Mr. Moore delivers every 
season a series of lectures on botany, and during my stay 
the distribution of prizes took place in the presence of 
a numerous assembly. Dr. George Bennett having only 
recently given a graphic description of the Sydney garden 
in his ‘Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia,’ I 
shall not dwell on a subject to me so tempting, and one 
that confers great credit upon the zealous director of 
the institution. 
Leaving Sydney on the 22nd of December, we made 
Melbourne on Christmas Eve, and King George’s Sound 
on the 31st of December. Thence my voyage led to 
Point de Galle, Ceylon, Egypt, and Malta, whence I took 
the French steamer and paid a visit to Sicily and Italy, 
ascending Vesuvius in company of Mr. and Mrs. George 
