PREFACB. Xf 



St. Bartholomew's, from which I returned in the au- 

 tumn of 1811 in a perfect state of recovered health. 

 The vessel in which I returned landed at the town of 

 Wiscasset in the province of Main. This being a coun- 

 try I had never visited before, 1 examined its vegetation 

 with all possible attention ; and although the season was 

 too far advanced for making any new discoveries, I 

 gained considerable information respecting the geogra- 

 phy of plants, a point I always considered highly in- 

 teresting to the science. During my journey towards 

 New York, I had an opportunity of visiting Professor 

 Peck of Cambridge College near Boston, and seeing his 

 highly interesting collection of plant"?, collected on a 

 tour to the alpine regions of the White Mills of New 

 Hampshire. As the season was too far advanced when 

 I was in that country to suffer me to think of ascending 

 those mountains, this collection was highly gratifying 

 to me. 



On my return to New York, I found things in a situ- 

 ation very unfavourable to the publication of scientific 

 works, the public mind being then in agitation about a 

 war with Great Britain. I therefore d-'tcrmined to take 

 all my materials to England, where I conceived I 

 should not only have the advantage of consulting the 

 most celebrated collections and libraries, but also meet 

 with that encouragement and support so necessary to 

 works of science, and so generally bestowed ujjon them 

 there. 



These expectations I found amply realizetl on my ar- 

 rival in London. I had very soon the pleasure of form- 

 ing a circle of acriuaintance among those attached to the 

 science of Botany, by whom I was gradually introduced 



