864 THE FORSTER HERBARIUM. 



2 vols, royal 4to, calf"; it was bought by Mr. Bolm for £1 12s. I 

 have met with no reference to any other copy, but we have in the 

 Botanical Department a similar volume, containing 129 plates, all 

 written up by Solander with reference to the place where the plants 

 were published, which was for the great majority Gr. Forster's 

 ' Prodromus.' The plates are all in a very unfinished state. I can 

 find no reference to these copper-plates, either in the ' Banksian 

 Correspondence,' or in the works of either of the Forsters. George, 

 in his preface to the ' Prodromus,' speaks of the figures — mere 

 details of flowers — published in the ' Characteres,' but does not 

 refer to any larger work, such as must have been projected. 



There are numerous letters from and concerning both the 

 Forsters in the ' Banksian Correspondence,' but these do not throw 

 much light upon their botanical work. It may be worth while to 

 reproduce, from Eees's ' Cycloptedia,' the account of the father : — 



" Forster, John Keinhold, an eminent naturalist and philo- 

 logist, was the son of a burgomaster at Dirschaw, in Polish 

 Prussia, where he was born October 22nd, in the year 1729. In 

 early youth he had few advantages for education ; but about the 

 age of fifteen years he was admitted into the Gymnasium of 

 Joachimsthal at Berlin. Under the tuition of Menzelius and 

 Heinsius he made considerable progress in the learned languages ; 

 and he also devoted a part of his attention to the study of the 

 Coptic, and to the acquisition of several of the modern languages, 

 and particularly the Polish. In the year 1748 he was entered at 

 the University of Halle, where he studied Theology, and continued 

 his application to the learned languages, among which he com- 

 prehended the Oriental. After three years he removed to Dantzic, 

 and distinguished himself as a preacher, imitating the French 

 rather than the Dutch manner ; and in 1755 he obtained a settle- 

 ment at Nassenhuben. In the following year he married his 

 cousin, Elizabeth Nikolai. During his residence in this place, he 

 employed his leisure hours in the study of philosophy, geography, 

 and the mathematics, without desisting from further improvements 

 in his acquintance with the ancient and modern languages. With 

 a small income and increasing family, the difliculties he experienced 

 induced him to accept the proposal of removing to Eussia, in order 

 to superintend the new colonies at Saratow. Much, however, as 

 he was approved, during an interview with the members of Govern- 

 ment at Petersburg, some circumstances occurred which rendered 

 his new appointment of short duration ; but on his return to the 

 capital, advantageous offers were made to him by the Academy of 

 Sciences, and by that of Moscow, both which he thought proper to 

 decline. Having for some time indulged unavaihng expectations 

 from the Eussian Government, he removed to London in the year 

 17GG, with strong recommendations, but with very little money. 

 After his arrival, he received from the Government of Eussia a 

 present of 100 guineas ; and he also made an addition to his stock 

 by the translation of ' Kalm's Travels ' and ' Osbeck's Voyage.' At 

 this time Lord Baltimore proposed to him a settlement in America, 

 as superintendent of his extensive property in that country, but he 



