Miscellaneous. 



167 



better ; many a great deal worse. Of course, on such excursions a bota- 

 nist can only collect one, or at most two specimens of each plant he meets 

 with ; and frequently, so limited are his means of conveyance in an almost 

 trackless country, he can only take such as he has not seen in other places, 

 noting, however, the occurrence of all others, in addition to all such 

 observations as ordinary travellers make. So many mishaps come under 

 one's precious load before it gets to a place of safety, that sometimes I 

 have been mortified to find, after a laborious excursion, the tangible re- 

 sults, notwithstanding all my care, consisted only of a few blackened, 

 indifferently dried specimens. I was preparing to cross the island by the 

 Indian trail to Quallicom, and thence by Nauaimo and the valley of Cor- 

 vitchen to Victoria, a distance of about 100 miles, when the rain began 

 to fall in torrents, and so fell for ten days in a continuous pour, until, 

 losing all hope of being able to effect this journey for the present, I came 

 down to Victoria in the Thames, where I arrived after twenty hours' 

 steaming. 



I here take the opportunity of recording my thanks to IMessrs Anderson 

 and Co. for the great kindness and assistance they rendered me through 

 Mr Gilbert ]M. Sproat, the resident partner, and without which it would 

 have been utterly impossible to have undertaken anything at all approach- 

 ing to such a lengthened exploration. On my arrival in Victoria, I found 

 that my visit to the Nootkas had got noised abroad, and all the news- 

 papers were anxious to have the first account. By request of his Ex- 

 cellency the Governor, I called upon him next day, when he was pleased 

 to express great satisfaction at my safe return, and at the mode in 

 which I had conducted the exploration. Among other favours, he offered 

 me letters to the magistrates and district officers in British Columbia. 

 Governor Douglas, some people say, is about to resign ; and if so, his loss, 

 I am sure, will be a deep blow to the success of the colony, for, notwith- 

 standing many differences of opinion from interested or disappointed 

 people, no man will ever be found with such a thorough knowledge of the 

 wants of the country and all that concerns it. 



Finding many plants in flower round Victoria which I had not obtained 

 elsewhere, I remained here until the above date, wandering far and near, 

 and frequently passing the night in some surveyor's tent away in some 

 wild part of the district. During this period I was occupied part of the 

 time in making arrangements for my more important future journey, and 

 had the pleasure of gaining the friendship of many most pleasant people 

 — so pleasant, indeed, that one feels almost sorry to have to leave them, 

 and take to a vagabond life again in the wilds, where he may pass long 

 days without looking on a human face. 



I propose to start on Thursday the 30th on another and longer journey, 

 and one which will be most profitable, not only because undertaken during 

 the seed season, but also over a more varied and extensive tract of 

 country. From Victoria, I go to Port Angelos, W.T., thence to Port 

 Townsend, and Olympia, Fort Nisqualley, Seattle, and Whatcom, over 

 the Cascade Mountains to the Fraser River, along the Fraser to Fort 

 Alexandria, and down either the Bentinck armtraiL or that by Bute Inlet. 

 This will, I expect, occupy me until the end of October, and will, I hope, 

 yield something to reward the outlay of the Association, though I know I 

 will be devoured by mosquitoes. You will perceive that part of it lies 

 through American territory, but I do not suppose that the Association is 

 so fastidious as to object to seeds gathered over what our Government was 

 compliant enough to assign as the boundary line of 1846 ; and, indeed, the 

 country is not so rich as to allow of picking and choosing. I have ob- 

 tained the Government credentials necessary for the journey. 



