Miscellaneous Intelligence. 443 



road he set out alone and on foot, crossed the Sierra Nevada and 

 found his way to the camp of the party, which was then on the 

 Truckee River below the present town of Wadsworth. The 

 trip had been a hard one, and he was unused to mountains and 

 deserts. He reached the camp weary, dust covered, and so foot- 

 sore with his hard tramp that he carried his heavy boots with his 

 luggage over his shoulder. The camp men were struck with his 

 condition as he inquired for Mr. King, and he in turn was taken 

 aback by the very youthful appearance of the commander of the 

 party. He brought a letter of introduction from Dr. Barnard, 

 whom Mr. King had known in Hartford, and was so earnestly 

 anxious to join the expedition that he offered to accept any posi- 

 tion the camp offered if there was no scientific work for him. He 

 was engaged to assist in topography, observe the barometer and 

 make himself useful as he could, at first on a mere nominal salary. 

 Mr. W. W. Bailey was the botanist of the expedition, but he was 

 already weakened by fever and could illy stand the hardships of 

 collecting in a desert region. Watson began to collect plants 

 immediately in connection with his topographical work. He had 

 a general knowledge of botany, probably picked up years before 

 while studying medicine, but the plants of that desert region 

 were all new to him, and excited his intense interest. His untir- 

 ing diligence, his keen observation of plants, his cheerful endur- 

 ance of the discomforts and hai'dships of desert campaigning 

 soon gave evidence of his scientific zeal, and personally endeared 

 him to the whole camp, and when finally, before the close of that 

 season, Mr. Bailey succumbed to the hardships of the work, Mr. 

 Watson was chosen to succeed him. 



That season and the following winter was spent in the western 

 part of the Basin and the summer of 1868 in the Humboldt moun- 

 tains and other parts of eastern Nevada. The next winter he 

 spent at New Haven in the Herbarium of Professor Eaton at 

 work upon his collection. He returned to the field and spent the 

 summer of 1869 in Utah. He apparently was happier in this field 

 work than he had ever been before. His comrades speak of his 

 enjoyment of the wild natural scenery of the region he was ex- 

 ploring, and of the various natural phenomena there occurring. 

 He was particularly and intensely interested in the desert vege- 

 tation. He was fearless and intrepid in his work ; sometimes 

 bivouacked in solitude over night in the mountains, returning 

 the next day with his botanical treasures, always calm and cheer- 

 ful and undemonstrative. 



He returned to New Haven in the fall of 1S69, and remained 

 with Professor Eaton about a year, at work on his collection, and 

 went to Cambridge late in 18*70 to finish the work at the Gray 

 Herbarium. 



His Report was finished in 18*71, and was the most complete 

 nd extensive botanical report of any of the exploring expeditions 

 on the Pacific slope. 



From this time on he remained at Cambridge, and soon became 

 the Curator of the Gi-ay Herbai'ium. Here was a sphere just 



