G4 THE SOUTH AND ITS SCIENTIFIC SCOPE 
twofold lovely as the first relief after a tedious sea voyage* 
Several hospitable friends of the family hved here, and Hooker 
rejoiced to explore the wonders and beauties of the island so 
famihar to him from books. He and his fellow officers had 
long planned an excursion to the valley of an ancient crater 
in the mountainous heart of the island, and he sent home a 
lively description of the jaunt. This gallop up to the Curral 
is one of the ' unnecessary entertainments.' True, Joseph did 
not fail to collect all the plants he could find both here and 
in the Cape de Verde Islands and St. Helena, where also he 
roamed afield ; but the season was too late — everything was 
burnt up : not to add that he was unpractised in making a 
large collection. Worse still, an old hand, Cuming,^ visited 
St. Helena a w^eek or two after he was there, and in one strenu- 
ous day made a much more brilliant collection. Sir William 
accordingly admits his excuses as to drought ashore, damp 
and ill accommodation afloat, but confesses to considerable dis- 
appointment. Eobert Brown, his botanic idol, likes Joseph's 
sketches and notes ; but as to the collection, merely sends 
suggestions for better preservation of the specimens, such as 
the use of brown paper in the tropics, instead of blotting-paper, 
which ferments. 
And Sir Yv^illiam, repeating that he ought in future to 
secure, if possible, an assistant collector .to leave him free for 
the mental work of describing and drawing, adds, it is too 
much for a man to collect well and to note well. Assuredly he 
is well employed but is not speciahsing enough. Great oppor- 
tunities He before him. No botanist has been to Southern 
New Zealand since Menzies ^ and Vancouver.^ In Tasmania 
^ Hugh Cuming (1791-1865), conchologist and botanist, who was long 
settled at Valparaiso. He spent 1835-9 in exploring the Philippines. It waa 
on his way back to England via the Cape that he visited St. Helena. 
2 Archibald Menzics (1754-1842) began his botanical career as a gardener 
in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden ; was encouraged by Hope, the Professor, 
to qualify as a surgeon, and completed his reputation as naturalist and surgeon 
on Vancouver's voyage in the Discovery, 1790-5. He Mas elected to the 
Linnean Society in 1790. 
3 George Vancouver (1758-98) sailed as a seaman in Cook's second voyage, 
and rose to be a captain in the navy. After the Nootka Sound dispute with 
Spain, he was sent to take over the district again and explore the coast from 
lat. 30° northwards. On the way out (1791-5) he explored much of Australia, 
New Zealand, and Tahiti, returning bj^ Cape Horn. 
