Description

On his return from British Columbia with the Boundary party on the 27 Dec, Lyall found that the greater part of the botanical collection he had made on the 'Plumper' had been packed up, just as it was, and forwarded via Panama in charge of one of the officers who was going home on promotion. Lyall wishes he had been there when it left, as he should have sent notes on some of the plants with it. During his four months' absence, the party spent most of the time at two principal stations, 12 miles distant from each other: the first on the Sumas Prairie, the second on the banks of a hill lake called Lake Cultus. Most of the flowering plants were gone before they reached the first, and the frost set in before they reached the other. During their stay, snow covered the ground, which prevented Lyall from collecting plants. Only mosses, lichens and fungi off the trees were collected and a few algae from the lake. Lyall sends Hooker a few specimens, which may be spoiled, as a thaw came on during their retreat and everything belonging to them was under water. Lyall asks Hooker to send any spare duplicates to the Royal Dublin Society, in return for a quantity of preserving material supplied by that society to Lyall's predecessor in the 'Plumper'. Lyall would like Hooker to mention what he says to Dr Harvey the next time he writes. Harvey knows all about what Lyall is doing. Pages 1 and 4 of 4.