34 Early Botanical Explorers on the Pacific Coast 
they at me without a word passing, till one at last, who seemed to be the 
leader, made a sign for tobacco, which I said they should get on condition 
of going and fetching me some cones. They went, and as soon as out of 
sight I picked up my three cones and a few twigs, and made a quick retreat 
to my camp, which I gained at dusk. The Indian who undertook to be my 
guide I sent off, lest he should betray me. Wood of the pine, fine, and very 
heavy; leaves short, in five, with a very short sheath bright green; cones, 
one 14/4 inches long, one 14, and one 13 , and all containing fine seed. 
Douglas’ California journal was lost in a shipwreck on the 
Fraser River in 18 33, 26 so we know very little about his collecting 
in California, 27 but it must have been very easy compared to his 
trials in the north. He collected around Monterey, San Francisco 
and Santa Barbara. I feel sure that he must have been on Mount 
Diablo, because he collected Calochortus pulchellus which has 
never been found elsewhere. For a long time it was confused with 
the other yellow globe tulip which was named by Carl Purdy, 
Calochortus amabilisy when I showed him the Mount Diablo 
flowers. 
Other Botanical Explorers 
Thomas Coulter was born at Dundalk, in Ireland, and became 
interested in natural history when quite young. He was educated 
at Trinity College, Dublin, and was especially noted for his 
knowledge of botany and entomology. He also studied botany 
under the elder DeCandolle at Geneva. When he was about 
thirty, he accepted a position as medical officer to the Real del 
Monte Mining Company of Mexico for three years. In 1831, he 
came to Monterey, where he met David Douglas. They collected 
together until Douglas went to the Hawaiian Islands and Coulter 
began an overland trip through the Salinas Valley to Southern 
