Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait121878roya).pdf/243

 he immortalized his name by the discovery of one of the greatest prodigies in nature that has been yet met with, a flower of great beauty but more remarkable for its dimensions; it measures a full yard across, weighs fifteen pounds, and contains in the Nectary no less than eight pints, each petal being 11 inches in breadth and there being five of them. I sent a short description of this plant, with a drawing and part of the flower itself, to Sir Joseph Banks: from whom, or some of the members of the Royal Society, you may probably have heard more particulars. I have now with me as a Botanist Dr. Jaik, a gentleman highly qualified, and we are daily making very important additions to our Herbarium. We have recently discovered at this place some very beautiful species of the Nepenthes or Pitcher Plant, which in elegance and brilliancy far surpass any thing I have yet seen in this quarter-the plant is very remarkable, and though the genus has been generally described but little is known of the different species. We are now engaged in making drawings of them, with a few other of the most remarkable and splendid productions of the vegetable world which we have met with, and propose forming them into a volume to be engraved in Europe. This will be an earnest of what we propose to do hereafter, and you will oblige me much by informing me whether His Serene Highness would have any objection to the first result of our labours being dedicated to him; there will not be above six or eight engravings, but they will be on a large scale.

Besides our Botanical pursuits I have in my family two French naturalists, one of them step-son to the celebrated Cuvier; their attention is principally directed to Zoology, but we include in our researches every thing that is interesting in the mineral kingdom; our collection of Birds is already very extensive, and in the course of two or three years we hope to complete our more important researches in Sumatra. We shall endeavour to include the Malay Peninsula, Borneo and elsewhere, wherever the Dutch, who are the Vandals of the East, do not establish themselves to our exclusion. I hope the plants &c. by Dr. Horsfield reached Claremont in safety and tolerable preservation.

On the West Coast of Sumatra abound great varieties of Asallims aud Madrepores; but few of these are known in England, and collections are rare. I am preparing a few for Claremont and shall be happy to hear from you if they are likely to be acceptable, or what would be more so. I beg of