Asa Gray. 185 



jyhysum, from the vicinity of Oneida Lake, stands, and is the 

 first of the thousands of good Asa-Gray species. Thus Gray's 

 botanical investigations were well begun before his twenty- 

 fifth year had passed. 



In February or March of 1835 he gave his last instruction at the 

 Utica High School. He expected to continue as Dr. Torrey's as- 

 sistant the following season ; but " the prospects of the Medical 

 School were so poor that Dr. Torrey could not afford to employ 

 him." He nevertheless returned to New York in the autumn, 

 took the position of curator and librarian of the Lyceum of Natu- 

 ral History, and continued his botanical investigations. During 

 the summer he had begun the preparation of his " Elements of 

 Botany," and in the course of 1836 the work appeared. It 

 showed the scholar in its science and in its style. The subjects 

 of vegetable structure, physiology and classification were pre- 

 sented in a masterly manner, though within a small compass. 

 The book, moreover, showed his customary independence of 

 judgment and clear head in various criticisms and suggestions — 

 later investigations sustaining them, much to his gratification. 



The Wilkes Exploring Expedition came near making a pro- 

 found impression on Gray's life. In the summer of 1836 the 

 position of Botanist in the expedition was offered him, and 

 accepted. But delays occurred in the time of sailing, and 

 changes were threatened that threw uncertainties over the 

 cruise, and for these reasons, and on account of the work on 

 the North American Flora, of which, by invitation of Dr. 

 Torrey, he was to be joint author, his resignation was sent in 

 the following year. The expedition changed its commander 

 from Commodore Patterson over a ship of the line, to Lieuten- 

 ant Charles Wilkes with a squadron of two sloops of war (bet- 

 ter adapted for the purpose), besides other vessels, six in all, and 

 sailed in August, 1838. The four years abroad would have 

 given him an opportunity for observations and discoveries that 

 would have rejoiced him — excursions in Madeira, the Canaries, 

 to the Organ Mountains in Brazil, a brief look about Orange 

 Bay near Cape Horn, excursions to the Andes of Chili and 

 about lower Peru, over Oregon and Washington territory, and 

 parts of California, through numerous island groups of the 

 South and North Pacific, in Australia and New Zealand, about 



