836 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



count of East Florida, by William Stork, published in England. 

 It is evident from this production that the botanist was not a 

 ready writer. His observations are minute and sagacious, and 

 his language is simple, but his sentences are loosely strung out, 

 and the record is the barest statement of facts. His Journal to 

 the Five Nations, however, is much more readable. 



William seems to have been much taken with Florida, and 

 accordingly his father helped to establish him as an indigo- 

 planter on the St. John's River. After about a year of disas- 

 trous experience he returned to his father's home and went to 

 work on a farm in the vicinity. Collinson had been watching 

 for an opening for William in England, but so far nothing had 

 come of it. The next year he writes that the Duchess of Portland, 

 a " great virtuoso in shells and all marine productions," had just 

 dined at his house, and, having seen William's drawings," she de- 

 sires to bestow twenty guineas on his performances for a trial.'* 

 The kind of objects she wants drawn are told. The same month, 

 July 18, 17G8, Collinson writes to William that he had also secured 

 an order from Dr. Fothergill for drawings of shells, turtles, terra- 

 pin, etc. This was probably the last letter of Collinson to the 

 Bartrams, as he died on the 11th of the following month. Dur- 

 ing his long friendship with John Bartram the two men had 

 never seen each other. 



William now began to send drawings and descriptions to Dr. 

 Fothergill from time to time. In 1773 he began explorations in 

 the Floridas, Carolina, and Georgia, the expense of which for 

 nearly five years was borne by Dr. Fothergill, and to him William's 

 collections and drawings were turned over. William made many 

 contributions to the natural history of the country through which 

 he traveled, and in 1791 jDublished his Travels through North and 

 South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, together with 

 an account of the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, and other tribes of 

 Indians which he visited. His attitude toward the red men is much 

 more favorable than that of his father. The volume contains 

 many engravings of plants and birds from the author's own draw- 

 ings. Of this book Coleridge said : " The latest book of travels 

 I know Avritten in the spirit of the old travelers is Bartram's 

 account of his tour in the Floridas. It is a work of high merit 

 every way." 



Among the influential friends of the elder Bartram was Benja- 

 min Franklin. While in England Franklin writes to him and 

 sends him seeds of garden vegetables at various times ; and when 

 the Revolution had stopped his sending seeds to England, Franklin 

 offers to sell them for him in France. 



Among the testimonials to his botanical achievements that 

 Bartram received was a gold medal, weighing 487 grains, from 



