The Getting of the Plants

Monday, November 17th, 1823 – At Flushing and got part of the trees up. Could not get finished as Mr Prince has not all the plants which are ardently needed. Many times he expressed himself pleased with the Society and is to put up a collection of fruits, which will be an acquisition, especially as I have almost failed with Coxe.

So Prince is not quite making good on what Douglas expects, and Douglas is beginning to suspect that he never will.

From 18th to 22nd – Employed packing plants etc., Got part of the boxes on board.

Sunday November 23rd – Wrote to Joseph Sabine Esq., and finished putting up my dry plants. At church in the afternoon.

26th – Received the trees from Philadelphia and Burlington, got them from the wharf, ordered boxes for them, I now feel a little at ease.

Thursday 27th – Got remainder of trees etc. packed and taken down to the vessel, and box from Baltimore.

29th – Received boxes from Flushing and transmitted on board ship; packing and at Mr Hogg’s.

30th – Accompanied Mr Hogg to some of his friends in the country

Reading between the lines of his Journal, this is clearly a bit of an anxious time for Douglas. He will be judged by his employers on what he brings back and it's all coming together in the last few days. He needs to actually receive all the trees he has ordered from various sources, get them boxed up for the voyage home, get them to the wharf and supervise their loading. This will be hard work and require lots of coordination from him, overseeing people who probably don't attach the same importance to his trees as he does.

 

Meanwhile, with the other hand, he is doing the same with his more transportable dry material. It all feels a bit last-minute. He has another few days of packing and loading to get through, and one last confrontation with Mr Prince at Flushing. But he's nearly done.

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.

A day in the Pine Barrens, and another steamboat

Thursday, August 21st, 1823 - [Douglas spends the day botanising on the New Jersey Pine Barrens - a heavily forested area of relatively infertile sandy soil.  Despite close proximity to major urban metropolises the pine barrens remain remarkably rural.  Douglas has pretty slim pickings from his botanising and finally....] At 5 o'clock pm left Burlington by steamboat and arrived at Philadelphia 7 evening

This is at least the third time Douglas has travelled by steamboat on this expedition; steamboat river travel must now be a well-established mode of transport, at least in the eastern USA