David Douglas (1799-1834) was a tenacious, often dour, Scot, a man of great physical strength and endurance, who seemed most at peace with himself and the world when engaged in wild adventure. He did more for the botany of what are now the states of CA, OR, and WA than all botanists who preceded him. Douglas was nurtured botanically, from humble origins, by William Hooker, Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow. Hooker recommended him to the London-based Royal Horticultural Society for botanical exploration duty in North America, and, thus sponsored, Douglas made two trips to western NA during the years 1824-1827 and 1829-1834.

David Douglas, FLS, sketched by his niece, frontispiece in Douglas' published journal.

His journal for the 1824-27 years is a great read. Possibly as a result of his fearless nature and unswerving determination, he was rather frequently laid up by injuries, but he was a hard man to keep down. He encountered ghastly weather, trackless wildernesses, rampaging rivers, and unfriendly Indians - all in profusion. He endured (though not without complaint) all that Mother Nature handed out, and gained the respect, and often warm friendship, of the Indians. The following excerpt actually sounds little different from his accounts of many another of his days and nights. He was searching, in the Oregon coast range near the Umpqua River, for a giant pine which he had had intimations of from Indians. He found it on October 26, 1826, but stayed only long enough (he was under serious threat by a group of Indians) to shoot down 3 cones, to collect some twigs, and to make measurements on fallen giants. He later named it Pinus lambertiana in honor of Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1761-1842), English botanical patron and author of a classic work on the genus Pinus; its sugary resin - used by woodsfolk of the area as a sweetener - led to its common name, sugar pine.

From his journal:

"Wednesday [October] 25th [1826] - Last night was one of the most dreadful I ever witnessed. The rain, driven by the violence of the wind, rendered it impossible for me to keep any fire, and to add misery to my affliction my tent was blown down at midnight, when I lay among bracken rolled in my wet blanket and tent till morning. Sleep of course was not to be had, every ten or fifteen minutes immense trees falling producing a crash as if the earth was cleaving asunder, which with the thunder peal before the echo of the former died away, and the lightning in zigzag and forked flashes, had on my mind a sensation more than I can ever give vent to; and more so, when I think of the place and my circumstances. My poor horses were unable to endure the violence of the storm without craving of me protection, which they did by hanging their heads over me and neighing. Towards day it moderated and before sunrise clear, but very cold. I could not stir before making a fire and drying part of my clothing, everything being completely drenched, and indulging myself with a fume of tobacco being the only thing I could afford. Started at ten o'clock, still shivering with cold although I rubbed myself with my handkerchief before the fire until I was no longer able to endure the pain. Went through an open hilly country some thirteen miles, where I crossed the river to the south side near three lodges of Indians, who gave me some salmon such as is caught in the Columbia and at this season scarcely eatable, but I was thankful to obtain it. Made a short stay and took my course southerly towards a ridge of mountains, where I hope to find my pine. The night being dry I camped early in the afternoon, in order to dry the remaining part of my clothing. Travelled eighteen miles."