Part 1 (2/2)

Not high-born, for his father was a gardener; but, what is of ht up and well educated A gardener's son ardener himself, for that matter, or he may not There are many senses to this entleman in the _true_ sense; that is, he was possessed of a feeling heart, a nice sense of honesty and honour, and was, notwithstanding his hue, an educated and accoardener, was ahie of this condition, he resolved that his son never should

Inof value, and is eagerly sought after It is provided liberally for all classes; and the Germans, as a people, are perhaps the best educated in the world

It is partly owing to this fact, and partly to their energetic industry, that they exercise so great an influence in the affairs of the world; in the arts and sciences, in , and the study of nature-- above all, in a knowledge of botany I cannot believe that the Gerhest as an _intellectual_ race, but only as an _educated_ people What a pity I could not add, that they are a free people; but in that their condition differs less froine

At nineteen years of age, young Karl Linden did not consider them as free as they deserved to be He was then a student in one of the universities; and, naturally enough, had imbibed those principles of patriotic liberty, that, in 1848, were stirring in the German heart

He did more than advocate his faith by ee compatriots, he endeavoured to have it carried into practice; and he was one of those brave students, who, in 1848, gave freedoue of crowned heads was too strong to be so easily broken; and, a other youthful patriots, our hero was forced to flee froee,” as it is termed--he scarce knehat to do His parent was too poor to send him money for his support

Besides, his father was not over well pleased with hi to a belief in the divine right of kings, and was contented with the ”powers that be,” no ry with Karl, for havingpatriot, or ”rebel,” as it pleases crowned monsters to ters; a secretary to soreat noble, a post in the Custouard of some petty tyrant Any of these would have fulfilled the ambitious hopes of Karl's father The latter, therefore, was displeased with the conduct of his son Karl had no hope froer of the old ee to do? He found English hospitality cold enough He was free enough; that is, to wander the streets and beg

Fortunately, he bethought hi his life, he had aided his father in the occupation of gardening He could dig, plant, and sow He could prune trees, and propagate flowers to perfection He understood the reenhouse and hothouse, the cold-pit and the forcing-pit; nay, more--he understood the names and nature of most of the plants that are cultivated in European countries; in other words, he was a botanist His early opportunities in the garden of a great noble, where his father was superintendent, had given hi, he had ht take a hand in a garden, or a nursery, or so idly about the streets of thein the midst of its profuse plenty

With such ideas in his ate of one of the reat London abounds He told his story; he was eent and enterprising proprietor of the establishe_ He wanted just such a man He had ”plant-hunters” in other parts of the world; in North and South America, in Africa, in Australia

He wanted a collector for India; he wanted to enrich his stock fro into popular celebrity, on account of the reat ”plant-hunters” Boyle and Hooker

The splendid pine-trees, arurand row so profusely in the Himalaya valleys, had been described, and ardens These plants were therefore the rage; and, consequently, the _desiderata_ of the nursery and valuable was, that h latitudes, on account of the elevated region of their native habitat possessing a similarity of temperature and climate to that of northern Europe

More than one ”botanical collector” was at this time despatched to explore the chain of the Indian Alps, whose vast extent offered scope enough for all

A the number of these plant-hunters, then, was our hero, Karl Linden

CHAPTER THREE

CASPAR, OSSAROO, AND FRITZ

An English shi+p carried the plant-hunter to Calcutta, and his own good legs carried hiht have travelled there in many other ways--for perhaps in no country in the world are there soas in India Elephants, camels, horses, asses, mules, ponies, buffaloes, oxen, zebus, yaks, and men are all made use of to transport the traveller frooats, and sheep, are trained as beasts of burden!

Had Karl Linden been a Governal patron, he would very likely have travelled in grand style--either upon an elephant in a sumptuous howdah, or in a palanquin with relays of bearers, and a host of coolies to answer to his call

As it was, he had no money to throay in such a foolish , but that of private enterprise, and his means were necessarily limited He was not the less likely to accomplish the object for which he had been sent out Many a vast and poardless either of expense or waste--ay,accomplished the object intended ”Too e, very applicable to exploring expeditions; and it is a question, whether unaided individual enterprise has not effected raphical discovery, than has been done by the overn expeditions to which we are e are those that have been fitted out with the greatest econo of the northern coasts of A enormous sums of money, and the lives of many brave men, has been done, after all, by the Hudson's Bay Company with a simple boat's crew, and at an expense, that would not have franked one of our grand Arctic exploring expeditions for a week!

I ht point to the econo open their whole continent--a _single_ officer having lately been sent to descend the Amazon alone, and explore its extensive valley from the Andes to the Atlantic This was perforovernment and to the world at an expense of a few hundred dollars; whereas an English exploration of similar importance would have cost some thousands of pounds, with perhaps a much scantier return, for the outlay

As with the American explorer, so was it with our plant-hunter There was no expensive equipment or crowd of idle attendants He reached the Himalayas on foot, and on foot he had resolved to clied valleys

But Karl Linden was not alone Far from it He was in company with him he held dearest of all others in the world--his only brother Yes, the stout youth by his side is his brother Caspar, who had joined him in his exile, and now shares the labours and perils of his expedition There is no great difference between theer But Caspar's strength has not been wasted by too much study He has never been penned up within the walls of a college or a city; and, fresh froht ruddy cheek present a contrast to the thinner fore of the student

Their costu with their looks That of Karl exhibits the so, while on his head he wears the proscribed ”Hecker hat” Caspar's dress is of a reen, a cap of the sa peak, over-alls of blue velveteen, and Blucher boots