He travelled to California, Borneo, and China, studying and writing on geology and wider scientific subjects. He pioneered the first ever series of science textbooks written by scientists rather than school teachers, and a system for showing relief on maps. He became professor of Botany in Hong Kong. When war broke out in 1891 between China and Japan, he moved to Brisbane, Australia. He gave many lectures on geology there, and wrote on science and natural history for the "Brisbane Courier".