exclusively from what he sent to the writer of this article, to whom he appears to have opened his mind more confidently, and to have been more full in point of matter, than to almost any other of his correspondents, some of whom have kindly permitted a perusal of their letters. The first I had the happiness to receive from him was dated—
Entrance to the River Columbia, October 11, 1830.
How much do I feel indebted to you for your long and kind letter of Christmas-day, 1829! I received it two months ago, four days after I had left my headquarters for an extensive journey in the Cordilleras of New Albion, and what a stimulus it was to me! Situated as I am, without any one of kindred feelings, to share my labours and my toils and anxiety, such a letter makes all one's troubles seem light! I should indeed be delighted to have such a companion as the gentleman whom you describe, and whom I have hitherto only known by report. More than ten times as much could be effected by the united exertions of two.
I must now pass from London to Oahu, in the Sandwich Islands, all in one line! The ship touched nowhere on the eastern shore of South America, which to me was a great loss and disappointment, for I had anticipated much advantage from researches made on that continent and the Islands of the South Seas. It was not my fortune to climb the snowy peak of Mouna Kaah, the highest ground in the known world, in that system of mountains; nor could I get to Mouna Roa, which at this instant is dreadfully agitated by volcanic fires, and has the largest crater ever seen by mortal eyes; but I did what was of more service to Botany, in scaling the lofty and rugged peaks of Mouna Parrii, the seat of the great Akua, or God of Fire. The season was unfavourable, very rainy, and being just the conclusion of winter, I could only obtain Mosses and Ferns. I hope yet to visit this place again under more favourable circumstances. I am most desirous of collecting materials for a Flora of this groupe, and think that one season, spent in botanizing among them, with the aid of the Banksian Herbarium, might effect this object. The culminating points offer almost an unrivalled field for studying the Geography of Plants from the Line of Palms to that of the Lichens. I was delighted with the people and with the kind treatment I received, especially from those individuals who had formed part of his late Majesty Riho-Riho's suite when he visited Britain. Madame Boki, the Governess of the Island, entertained me splendidly. I possess copies of all the books that had been published in Oahu, and the other Islands, splendidly bound in tortoise-shell for your library, but have at present no convenient op-
