4 ET : ux = PREFACE. EI 
have been only to the Cape. His declining state of health how- - 
J ever, induced him to proceed as far as St. Helena. During his stay _ 
in that island, he, ever attentive to the interests of science, improve | 
ed the opportunity by describing most of the plants he found grow- 
ing there. After his arrival in England, whither he was at length — 
obliged to proceed, he entertained considerable hopes of being able’ 
to put this work to the press+and once wrote to the Editor, thati in : 
preparing it for this purpose he hoped to procure the assistance of | 
one of the first botanists of the present day, Mr. Robert Brown. i 
Death however soon prevented his accomplishing this object which | 
he had so much at heart. 3 D. sd 
The Editor had been i permitted by Dr. Roxburgh to otek 
the view of leaving t the country. - On his arrivai at Cerlont he met | ] 
with and described afew plauts there ; copies of which descriptions, 1 
he kindly sent thence to the Editor at Serampore. ees 
After waiting | more than a year after the news of Dr, Roxburgh’s 
. death had reached Tadia, the Editor, being unable to learn that any 3 
one thought of publishing this work, which his deceased friend felt | 
. 80. anxious to put to press in an. unmutilated state, before the labors A 
ot ken should render it useless. and obsolete; he formed. 
‘lution of taking the risk of- the publication on himself; a Fhavi age 3 
secured the co-operation of his various friends in Bac au immedi- 41 
ately put it to press. E 
The bcc motives which urged hið to dis step, were these. — 
He in the first instance wished to secure to an old aud highly velis 5 | 
| ed Friend the well. earned reward of upwards. of thirty years” | abor, 2 
i in ihe description of more than Two Thousand Piants, natives of Fas- 3 
tem A H a; a wor kin which none had anticipated 1 oe to an ae exec e 
eoo 
Pie S EI 
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