James.] S^4: [February. 



limited country practice, and in the study of Latin, for, when I re- 

 ceived my diploma, I could not read a word of it, and my pride was 

 piqued and my ambition excited to get rid of that opprobrium. I 

 took lessons of a private tutor for a few weeks, and then set to work 

 myself until I made considerable progress. Thus I passed my time for 

 two years, moping in rural solitude over my grammar and dictionary, 

 when not riding to see a patient ; but I became discontented with my 

 humdrum existence as a country practitioner, and at length resolved 

 to abandon my rustic home for a life of more excitement and interest. 

 I therefore engaged myself as surgeua of an East India ship bound 

 to Calcutta. After a long and tedious voyage of five months in a leak- 

 ing ship we landed safely at Calcutta. I went ashore to reside, and 

 being curious in the study of language, I procured a grammar and 

 forthwith commenced the acquisition of the spoken jargon, as it is 

 termed, of Bengal. We remained two months in port, during 

 which time I spent two delightful days in the East India Company's 

 Botanic Garden, and made the acquaintance of Dr. Wallich, its di- 

 rector, the well-known botanist. After an absence of thirteen months 

 I reached my native land." 



Some years after his return, be prepared, from his journal and me- 

 mory, an account of his India voyage, in a series of letters from Cal- 

 cutta, which may be found in the 13th and 14th volumes of the 

 Analectic Magazine. 



Dr. Darlington in his younger days was a man of social habits, 

 and a cheerful companion in the several societies of which he was a 

 member, and much given to poetry and rhyming. Many of his songs 

 were written for the amusement of his avssociates, and, as he had a 

 good voice, were always sung by him with edat. A number of these 

 rhymes found their way to the public in the periodicals of the day. 



On the 1st of June, 1808, he married Catharine, daughter of 

 General Lacey, of New Jersey, an officer of the Revolutionary War, 

 and settled in West Chester, at that time a small hamlet, to practise 

 medicine, in which pursuit he was succe.ssful, and maintained a high 

 position in the profession. For self- improvement he studied the Ger- 

 man language under a private tutor, and soon acquired a knowledge 

 of German literature. 



In 1813, he began to devote more especially his leisure houi-s to 

 botanical investigations, with a view of preparing a catalogue »>f the 

 phaenogamous plants growing in the vicinity of West Chester, but 

 his peaceful occupation was interrupted by the war then raging with 

 Great Britain, and although educated in the tenets of the Society 



