1U INTRODUCTION. 



the unfortunate Loefling, who fell a victim to his exer- 

 tions in South America, of Jacquin and Swartz, who 

 visited the West India Islands in order to investigate 

 their natural productions ; of Brown, who with the 

 same view resided several years at New-Holland, and 

 of Humboldt and Bonpland, two enterprising travellers, 

 who spent five years exploring the fertile regions of 

 equinoctial America. 



I turn from these men, learned and respected, to 

 speak of those botanists, who have investigated the 

 productions of our own land. Among them I notice 

 with pleasure the venerable name of John Bartram. 

 His occupation was that of an industrious farmer, but 

 he pursued with equal diligence the avocations of a 

 naturalist. His inquisitive eye was alwa3's exercised 

 in the examination of vegetables, which he surveyed 

 through the various stages of their growth, and the 

 beauty of their structure did not fail to impress his re- 

 flecting mind. Not satisfied with the survey of his 

 own paternal fields, he visited most of the provinces of 

 this country, and in this favorite pursuit, was neither 

 discouraged by difficulties, nor impeded by danger. 

 He explored forests marked by no human footstep but 

 of the savage warrior, and extended his researches to 

 Florida, where even at this day, danger treads on the 

 heel of the bold adventurer who dares pursue the steps 

 of the persevering Bartram. He returned, and on the 

 banks of the Schuylkill three miles from Philadelphia, 

 commenced the formation of his garden. It was the 

 first effort of the kind which had ever been made on 

 this side the Atlantic, and it was eminently successful. 

 There he collected in the compass of a few acres, 

 tho*e plants which he had soug'it with so much dili- 

 gence and fatigue, and enjoyed the luxury of a para- 



