The PREFACE. 
and then the Hiftory of the Plants that grow there, ia.which I have fol- 
lowed moftly the, Method of Mr. Ray in bis Hiftory of Plants, joining 
his Genera or Tribes together by the Method of Rivinus, or Number of 
the Petala or Leaves of the Flowers ; As thofe which are Monopetalous 
frrft, thofe Diperalous next, then the Tripetalous, ‘Tetrapetalous, 
Pentapetalous, Hexapetalous, and Juch as\haye no exatt Numbers of 
Coloured Leaves in their Flowers. When this Hiftory was begun, and 
near finifhed, I wanted many confiderable helps, the Method of the great 
Botanift Dr. Tournefort was not printed, much lefs the Book of new 
Kinds-of Weft-India Plants, lately publifh'd by Mon/. Plumier, who, 
_—_fince my Return from the Weft-Indies,, went into the Caribe-Iflands, 
and there obfery'd and defign’'d-himfelf many of the Plants very accue 
rately. He bas engray d them himfelf, and printed a Book, which con- 
fifts chiefly of Ferns ; And bas fav'd me a great deal of Trouble, finding 
his Figures fo Good, that I did not judge it neceffary the fame Plants 
foould be engraven again, but be only referr’d to, in my Fiiftory. | 
In the Second are contained the Trees, the Quadrupeds, Birds, 
Fifhes, Teftaceous and Cruftaceous Animals, and Infeets, &c. 
It may be askd me to what Purpofes ferve fuch Accounts, I anfwer, 
that the Knowlege of Natutal-Hiftory, being Obfervation of Matters of 
Fat, is more certain than imoft Others, and in my flender Opmton, lefs 
Jubje to Miftakes than Reafonings, Hypothefes, and Deductions 
are; And on this Occafion I have heard it reported of Gabriel Naude, 
That be ufed.to Jay he acqniefc:d in the Ecclefiaftical Aiiftory, Doubted 
the Civil, and Believ'd the Natural. Thefe are things we are fure of> 
fo far as our Senfes are not fallible, and which, in probability, bave been 
ever fince the Creation, and will remain to. the End of the World, im 
the fame Condition we now. find them: They afford great Matter of 
Admiring the Power,Wifdom and Providence of Almighty God, in Creating, 
and Preferving the things he has created. ‘There appears. fo much Con- 
trivance, in the variety of ‘Beings, preferwd from the beginning of the 
World, that the more any Man fearches, the more he will admire ; And 
conclude them, very ignorant in the Fi ifory of Nature, who J they were 
the Produttions of Chance, 
“Another 
