useful to the arts, and annually to furnish the House with a 
correct list of such plants as are in the Botanic Gardens, together 
with such information as he may have acquired relative to their 
uses and virtues.' 
"For the purpose of distributing the bread fruit and other 
valuable plants [Vmii the botanic Garden the Committee of the 
and distribute the allotments destined for them,' and, according as 
sufficient numbers were prepared for propagation, the Chairmen 
of the Count}' Committees were apprised and their respective pro- 
portions delivered and distributed, ' by which means,' it is 
quaintly remarked, ' the public has derived all the advantages to 
be expected from these establishments.' 
"During the years 171U-LS07 the Committee in charge of the 
Botanic Gardens, with Mr. Shirley as Chairman, greatly developed 
and improved them. Inquiries were made everywhere for new 
and necessaries ; and not only supply subsistence for future 
generations, but, probably, furnish fresh incitements to industry, 
new improvements in the arts, and new subjects of commerce.',//) 
"These beneficial efforts, long and successfully maintained, 
were however greatly relaxed after the year 1807, and under the 
influence of domestic trouble, want of due appreciation of the 
value and nature of Botanic Gardens, or the need of strict economy, 
a bill was introduced into the House of Assembly in 1810, ' for 
vesting the Botanic Garden in Liguanea in the Commissioners of 
the Board of Works, to be sold and the money to be brought to 
the credit of the public.' This bill was finally passed, December, 
1S10, and. the Garden passing to private hands, many of the valu- 
able plants contained in it. and collected with so much care and 
industry, were entirely lost. (&) 
"The Garden at Bath was however maintained, though in a very 
reduced state. Dr. Stewart West acted for some time as Island 
Botanist and was engaged in collecting the plants that had been 
lost from the Gardens, for the purpose of propagating and distri- 
buting them. 
" In the year 1824 an 
effort wa.s 
usefulness of the Botan 
ic Gardens, 
Committee appointed t 
o inquire i 
"(») Bryan Edwards' B 
! ' The Gardens." 
