Dr Wallich on the Progress of Botany in Bengal. 377 
to send persons to Nepal, for the purpose of collecting roots, 
seeds and specimens. The persons chosen were Bharat Singha, 
a faithful rajput, who had been employed in this manner by Dr 
Francis Hamilton, when engaged in a statistical survey of Ben- 
gal, and a Portuguese lad, the son of an old servant of Dr Rox- 
burgh. The manner in which these two most zealous and in- 
dustrious men have acquitted themselves of their duty, has far 
exceeded Dr Wallich’s expectations. They reached Nepal in 
December 1817, and before the 9th of October 1818, they had 
forwarded to the Botanical Garden upwards of 900 species, 
most of which,” says Dr Wallich, addressing Dr Hamilton, 
are new to every person except yourself, who are the best judge 
of what vegetable treasures that country affords.” But indepen- 
dent of these mens uninterrupted researches, Mr Gardner always 
employs six persons, and sometimes a greater number, in col- 
lecting plants and other curiosities for Dr Wallich, who receives 
them along with the dispatches transmitted by his own men. 
Mr Gardner has besides most judiciously and liberally sent two 
expeditions to the foot of Gosaignsthan, one of the highest peaks 
of the Himaliya Mountains, about ten marches from Kathman- 
du. The productions collected on these expeditions, exceed, if 
possible, the rarities received from the more immediate neigh- 
bourhood of Kathmandu. From that quarter have been recei- 
ved the following interesting plants : 
Several lovely Primulas, not to be found in the lower coun- 
tries. 
Some species of Androsace. 
A Cornus, not unlike the Jlorida, which Dr Wallich calls 
aggregata. 
A singular plant, probably a Serratula, with a compacted 
terminal bunch of flowers, as large as a man’s two fists, 
defended from the snow, among which it grows, by an 
involucrum, thickly covered by a cotton-like substance. 
A Sambucus. 
Several new plants of the natural orders Ranunculacese, 
Gentianae, and Acanthaceae. 
A third new species of Cypripedium. It must be observed, 
that no plant of this genus was known in India, until Dr 
Wallich received two beautiful species from Mr Smith, a 
