observer appreciated at this early period, that Dr. Wallich speaks of him
as one "whose extraordinary talents and knowledge as a botanist, entitle
him to the respect of all lovers of the science;" and M. de Mirbel
characterizes him as "jeune Anglois, tres instruit, tres zele et fort bon
observateur."

"His note on _Targionia_ is dated Paris, April 2nd, 1832, and in the
month of May of the same year, having finished his studies at the London
University with great distinction, he sailed from England for India,
which was destined to be the scene of his future labours. He arrived at
Madras on the 24th of September, and immediately received his appointment
as Assistant-Surgeon in the service of the East India Company.

"His first appointment in India was to the coast of Tenasserim; but in
the year 1835 he was attached to the Bengal Presidency, and was selected
to form one of a deputation, consisting of Dr. Wallich and himself as
botanists, and Mr. MacClelland as geologist, to visit and inspect the Tea-
forests (as they were called) of Assam, and to make researches in the
natural history of that almost unexplored district.

"This mission was for Mr. Griffith the commencement of a series of
journeys in pursuit of botanical knowledge, embracing nearly the whole
extent of the East India Company's extra-peninsular possessions, and
adding large collections, in every branch of natural history, but
especially botany, to those which, under the auspices of the Indian
Government, had previously been formed. He next, under the directions of
Capt. Jenkins, the Commissioner, pushed his investigations to the utmost
eastern limit of the Company's territory, traversing the hitherto
unexplored tracts in the neighbourhood of the Mishmee mountains which lie
between Suddiya and Ava. Of the splendid collection of insects formed