Vll 



Martins not only laboured zealously in the superintendence of the Garden, 

 but made frequent excursions through Bavaria and the adjacent regions for 

 the study of the indigenous flora ; and it was on one of these occasions that 

 he made the friendship of Hoppe, the Director of the Botanic Garden of 

 Ratisbon, and began with him a scientific correspondence which was long- 

 enduring. At this time he published the ' Flora Cryptogamica Erlan- 

 gensis' (Norimbergi, 1817), which contained the results of his first inde- 

 pendent researches, and met with high approval from his fellow workers in 

 th e science. His earnest devotion to study, his conspicuous talents, and 

 his untiring activity, could scarcely fail to earn for him the regard of his 

 older academical colleagues, such as Schrank, Schlichtigroll, Scemmerring, 

 and the Conservator General von Moll — all of them men fitted to produce 

 a beneficial influence on his mental development. In like manner he 

 attracted the kindly notice and favourable consideration of the King 

 Maximilian Joseph I., who, being a great lover of plants, paid frequent 

 visits to the Garden under the welcome guidance of the young superin- 

 tendent ; and this had an important effect on his future fortune. 



This enlightened prince had for some time entertained the project of 

 sending a scientific expedition to America ; and as the Emperor of Austria 

 was about to send out scientific explorers to Brazil in the retinue of the 

 x\rchduchess Leopoldina, who was about to sail for that country as the 

 bride of the Crown Prince of Portugal, afterwards the Emperor Don 

 Pedro I. of Brazil, King Max. Joseph availed himself of the opportunity 

 offered to him of sending out two Bavarian naturalists on that occasion. 

 The choice fell on Spix as Zoologist, and Martius as Botanist, who was 

 selected by the king himself. After but a brief time allowed for equip- 

 ment, the two travellers sailed from Trieste on the 2nd of April, 1817, 

 with the imperial corte'ge, and, after touching at Malta, Gibraltar, and 

 Madeira, arrived at Bio Janeiro on the loth of July. There they parted 

 from the Austrian savans, and set out on their own journey. 



It is unnecessary here to trace the course of their travels ; suffice it to 

 say that, after traversing the vast territory of Brazil in various directions, 

 and ascending the River Amazons and its tributary the Hyapura as far 

 as the confines of Peru and New Grarada, they arrived at Para on their 

 return journey on the 16th of April, 1820, three years after they had sailed 

 from Europe. From Para they were conveyed to Lisbon in a Portuguese 

 ship of war, and reached Munich on the 8th of December, 1820. 



This expedition, irrespective of the sea voyage, extended over nearly 1400 

 geographical miles, and for months led through the most inhospitable and 

 dangerous regions of the New World. Both explorers, however, escaped 

 without any important disaster cn the road, and they had the rare good 

 fortune to preserve and bring home their collections complete and un 

 injured. 



The material fruits of the expedition consisted of about G500 species of 

 plants, the majority dried ; but several living species, as well as seeds, were 



