To Philadelphia

Wednesday, October 29th, 1823 – Waited on Mr Kennedy [who he?] and obtained some money of him [an advance on the account of the Horticultural Society, I guess?], then set out for Philadelphia. Got to New Brunswick at 4 o’clock in the afternoon and then by stage to Trenton, which I reached at 9 at night

Thursday, October 30th, 1823 – Left Trenton at 5 o’clock in the morning [another early start, in the dark] and got to Burlington at 9 [a.m., I think]. Went to Mr Smith and proceeded to take up the trees. In the evening called on W Coxe. Esq., [who he had met on his previous trip to Philadelphia], whom I am sorry to say I found very sick, so ill that he was by his medical attendant considered in danger. I am sorry; I am afraid he will not be able to get out before I leave.

October 31st – Finished taking up [the trees] and saw the trees packed by 11 o’clock. …….These I carried to the tavern and packed, and at 6 o’clock in the evening I went in steamboat to Philadelphia, which place I gained by 9 at night. The night was cold and rainy, with slight frost in the morning.

Day trip to New Jersey. Rain falls in torrents

Monday and Tuesday, October 27th & 28th, 1823 – [Douglas goes on a botanising day-trip to New Jersey, and gets rather wet] – meeting Mr Hogg, according to our last night’s proposal, at half-past 5 o’clock in the morning [another of Douglas's early starts, in the dark at this time of year], we crossed the Hudson River to New Jersey for obtaining Sarracenia purpurea, which was our chief object.

The morning was fine and inviting, but before we had got to the desired spot, the rain fell in such torrents that we were urged to take shelter in the first place; towards midday on Tuesday we got out, and on looking on the face of the country beheld it deluged.

Calculating that Sarracenia was inaccessible for the present, we bent our course to an adjoining wood where we were amply repaid. Neottia repens in great profusion; cedar swamp, or rather anemones in the swamp. Soil moderately dry [?], composed altogether of decayed leaves and branches of cedars. By setting our feet on the ground we soon sank, the soil being very soft.  I took a good quantity of plants.

We got back at 6 o’clock in the evening, congratulating ourselves on having been more fortunate than expected.

This section of DD's Journal always amuses me. It has the feel of a typical "plan conceived late at night while slightly drunk", and executed in a slightly uncoordinated and under-prepared fashion. The first day is a write-off, due to rain and when they eventually emerge at noon on the second day [Where have they stayed? In a tavern? Are they hungover?] everywhere is, surprise, surprise, "deluged". But our heroes press on into the swamp and soon sink. Incidentally, there will be more of this, and worse, in a couple of weeks time when they return to the hunt for Sarracenia and get even muddier. Naturally, the rain falls in torrents, a favourite expression of Douglas which occurs time and again in his Journal. Perhaps it reminded him of his native Scotland!

Planning a trip to New Jersey & Philadelphia

Saturday, October 25th, 1823 – Wrote to W Coxe, Esq., and to Mr Dick, Philadelphia. Putting to rights specimens and seeds in the forenoon. At Mr Floy’s raking up plants &c till midday when I went to Flatbush on Long Island and returned late at night.

Sunday 26th October 1823 – The fore part of the day I rectified some of the lists preparatory to going to Philadelphia. Today was cold and had much the appearance of winter. Mr Clinton was to dine at Dr Hosack’s; I was invited after dinner. I walked out to Mr Hogg’s and got to town after projecting a trip to Jersey in the morning.

Horticultural Society of New York

Friday, October 24th 1823 – Today was devoted with Mr Floy, who has all along manifested an unremitting desire to be useful to the [Horticultural] Society [of London, DD’s employers]. In the evening I attended a meeting of the Horticultural Society of New York. I cannot refrain from mentioning the great exertions which most of the efficient members have made in communicating anything worthy of notice. 

A great many prominent inhabitants of New York have become members: De Witt Clinton, Dr Hosack, General Lewis, the Mayor of the city &c. Being the first effort to establish a Society in America they labour under many great disadvantages in having no other establishments to co-operate with them in their laudable exertion. The President, Martin Hoffman, Esq., is a very worthy respectable gentleman.  His knowledge of gardening is but limited, but he takes a very spirited interest in promoting the science.

Mr Hogg, F M Floy and Mr Wilson are the chief of its practical members. Presented for their inspection some fine beet of very superior quality, indeed as fine as I ever saw; carrots, very fine; broccoli, very good, some fine specimens of Spanish tobacco; the gentleman kindly offered the Society some seeds before sailing.

I was much pleased with the form of the proceedings. Some bunches of European grapes were presented; they were considered good for America, but in my opinion were very inferior to what are to be seen in England.

Here we have Douglas, again, schmoozing the great and good of New York society and building relationships between the Hort Soc of New York and his employer, the Horticultural Society back in London. This small extract from Mark Laird's essay in Flora Illustrata gives a feel for the make-up and activities of the Hort Soc of New York. Reference is: Early American Horticultural Traditions: Gardening with Plants from the New World, Mark Laird, pp 179-207, Flora Illustrata, New York Botanical Garden. And of course any extra time he has in the USA is all good for additional collecting activities.