" Returning, however, to the history of the Department under 
review, it appears that the first public Garden established in the 
island was the old Botanic Garden at Bath ; and in the Journals of 
the House of Assembly, Vol. VIII., 1784-91, p. G02, mention is 
made of Dr. Thomas Clarke, 'Practitioner in l'hvsic and Surgery,' 
who came to the island in 1777, at the particular instance and 
request of the late Sir Basil Keith, to superintend two Botanic 
Gardens, then intended to be established in the island. One was 
to be a European Garden, which however, was not established till 
long after, at Cinchona, and the other was the ' Tropical Garden ' 
" A. private garden possessing many rare and valuable plants 
had already been formed by Mr. Hinton East in Liguanea (Gordon 
I own) which, on the death of the founder, became the property of 
his nephew, Mr. EH. East, 'who with great generosity offered it 
to the Assemby of Jamaica for the use of the public at their own 
" M i r " B *7 a u ^wards, in the History of the British West Indies, 
l^Z f ^V ^ Ass ^ly of Jamaica, co-operating with the 
™Tlt? !? tentl ^ of Hls Ma Jesty (to introduce valuable exotics 
and productions of the most distant regions to the West Indies 1 * 
S:S 179 it 93 ^ ma ^ ific -t Bo tanTcal clrde^f Mr. Ea^t 
^Zt i* ° n f P ubhc , e T stab T li8 ^ent, under the care of skilful 
ffite^ &BS& James Wile8 ' had 
time^f i5r e p!>7 atal0gUe ° f the P lants in this Garden, at the 
ormsantS b ? Dr ' A ' Brought™, and 
eK'I;' ''■ of ' Hortus Eastensis 'to lb-van 
5™, " ' -' I"*"*, V'.l. I . p. 475 From 
expectations; the TSonTr e e LT eeded the mo8t ^^^ 
mangoes are in such plenTy L to be p laSe7? 1^ C ° mm ° n ' "J* 
There are. also several w>.; " * °« planted m the negro grounds. 
and we hZ«V™? ° f the J ack or *£tJd bread 
fruit . 
to ^S^jft^ £~ (- it was called) continued 
House of Assembly) f or nSn?" 6d by a C °mmittee of the 
entrusted to Dr. Danced as I 8 4dT/ ^ that at Bath wa8 
the tsyo Gardens was Led £800 ^ , The *"owance for 
Botanist were defined as follow?^' V, 6 duties of the Island 
^•.n;uive plants of the island to I1S ! £? llect i class and describe 
their medicinal virtues ; to discover^ ^ 8 endea ™rs to find out 
~^~ llJlJ^^^heyj^ssesa any qualities 
1^ ^T^^^^^ *£t tree 1,000 guinea9 were 
