ij. PREFACE. 



them, as far as in Iiis power, with the plant itself. In this way he 

 has gathered and arranged a considerable mass of materials, of which 

 the present humble specimen is offered, with ail due delerence, for 

 the opinion of tlie public. Should that opinion jjrove, lortunatelv, 

 favourable the publication will be continued, or, if otherwise, relin- 

 quished; and it may not, perhaps, be thought improper to state, in 

 this place, the general nature of the work, as now prejiared lor the 

 press, and the authors principally quoted from, that the public expec- 

 tation may not be dissappointed. 



It claims no other merit than that of a careful compilation froni 

 Barham, Sloane, Browne, Long, Grainger, Wright, Swartz, the 

 Encyclopedia Britannica, Chambers's Cyclopedia, Marty n's Miller'3 

 Gardeners' Dictionary, (a work of inestiirxable \alue, and liom which 

 the greatest assistance has been derived in the scientific part), besides 

 many other valuable books, as, in its progress, the discerning reader 

 will easily perceive. 



As Barhamhas treated of, and pointed out, more of the virtues of 

 the plants of this island than any other writer, and as the very limited 

 edition which was printed of his Hortus Americanus has long ago 

 been exhausted, the whole of that book will be iound interspersed 

 throughout this work. Dr. Barham came to this island earlv in tiie 

 last century, was a member in asiembly about the year 1731, and 

 returned to England in the year- 1740, He was a man of great pro- 

 bity, an able physician,, and a skilful naturalist. . He collected and 

 arranged a number of the plants of" Jamaica, which he presented to 

 Sir Hans Sloane, who acknowledges his obligations to him in several 

 parts of his Natural History, and made some communications to tha 



ilovd 



