324 A. Gray—Flora of North America. 



gardens of Wm. Hamilton, near Philadelphia. In the spring 

 of the latter year, as he says, he " set out for the mountains and 

 western territories of the Southern States, beginning at Mary- 

 land and extending to the Carolinas (in which tract the inter- 

 esting high mountains of Virginia and Carolina took my par- 

 ticular attention), returning late in the autumn through the 

 lower countries along the sea-coast to Philadelphia," But, in 

 i.s steps by his collections* and by other indications, it 

 appears that he did not reach the western borders of Virginia 

 nor cross its southern boundary into the mountains of North 

 Carolina. The Peaks of Otter and Salt-pond Mountain (now 

 Mountain Lake), were the highest elevations which he attained. 

 Pursh's preface continues: " The following season, 1806, I went 

 in like manner over the Northern States, beginning with the 

 mountains of Pennsylvania and extending to those of New 

 Hampshire (in which tract I traversed the extensive and highly 

 interesting country of the Lesser and Great Lakes), and return- 

 ing as before by the sea-coast." The diary of this expedition, 

 found among Dr. Barton's papers and collections in posses- 

 sion of the American Philosophical Society, has recently been 

 printed by the late Mr. Thomas Potts James. It shows that the 

 journey was not as extended or as thorough as would be sup- 

 posed ; that it was from Philadelphia directly north to the Po- 

 kono Mountains, thence to Onandaga, and to Oswego, — the only 

 point on the Great Lakes reached,— thence back to TJtica, down 

 the Mohawk Valley to Saratoga, and north to the upper part 

 of Lake Champlain and to the lesser Green Mountains in the 

 vicinity of Rutland, but not beyond. Discouraged by the late- 

 ness of the season, and disheartened — as he had all along been 

 — by the failure and insufficiency of remittances from his pat- 

 ron, Pursh turned back from Rutland on the 22d of September, 

 reached New York on the 1st of October, and Philadelphia on 

 the 5th. The next year (1807) Pursh took charge of the Bot- 

 anic Garden which Dr. Hosack had formed at New York and 

 afterward sold to the State, which soon made it over to C< >lumbia 

 College.f In 1810, he made a voyage to the West Indies for the 

 recovery of his health. Returning in the autumn of 1811, he 

 landed at Wiseasset. in Maine, Hmd an opportunity of visiting- 

 Professor Peck of Cambridge ( 'ollege, near Boston," and of see- 

 ing the alpine plants which Peck had collected on the White 

 * Tn herb. Barton and herb. Lambert. 



;k of ground now covered 

 y be expected 

 itb. a botanical 

 taintenance of the precious 

 Torrey Herbarium, which it possesses along with other subsidiary herbaria. 



