CHARACTERS. 
applied himself closely to the study 
of physic, and particularly to the 
science of botany, for which he al- 
ways had a particular predilec- 
tion. 
After five years spent at Paris he 
removed to Leyden, where he stu- 
died near two years more, and 
from that university obtained his 
degree of M. D.—Here he formed 
an intimacy with Gronovius’ and 
Muschenbroeck, and commenced a 
correspondence with Linneus and 
other eminent botanists and learned 
men. From Holland he proceeded 
to London, where he practised near: 
two years, most of which time he 
attended St, Thomas’s hospital, with 
the celebrated Doctor Letherland, 
physician formerly to queen Caro- 
line, bis warm and affectionate friend. 
From thence he went out again to 
the West Indies, and after spending 
some months in Antigua and some 
others of the sugar-islands, he pro- 
ceeded to Jamaica, where he spent 
his time in collecting and preserving 
specimens of the plants, birds, shells, 
&c. of those luxuriant soils, with a 
view to the improvement of natural 
history. 
Whilst in Jamaica, his residence 
was chiefly in Kingston, and it was 
he who first pointed out the absur- 
-dity of continuing Spanish town the 
port and capital, whilst reason 
plainly pointed out Kingston, or in 
his own words “ the defects of a port 
of clearance to leeward ;” and by 
his writings the governor and coun- 
cil represented the matter so strik- 
ingly to earl Granville, president of 
the council, 1756, that the measure 
was immediately adopted, and 
Kingston made the port of clearance, 
to the very great benefit of com- 
merce in general, as, before that, 
when ships were cleasing ‘out of 
[*35 
Kingston, and ready to weigh anchor, 
they were obliged to send near seven 
miles to Spanish-town, by which 
they often suffered great inconve- 
nience and delay. 
‘At thi¥ time also he collected 
materials and made the necessary 
Observations (being. a very good 
mathematician and astronomer) for 
a new map of Jamaica, which he 
published in London, in August, 
1755, engraved by Bailey, on two 
sheets, by which the doctor cleared 
four hundred guineas. 
Soon after this, (March, 1756) 
he published his Civil and Na- 
tural History of Jamaica, in 
folio, ornamented with forty-nine 
engravings of natural history, a 
whole sheet map of the island, and 
another of the harbour of Port- 
Royal, Kingston-town, &c. Of 
this work there were but two hun- 
dred and fifty copies printed by 
subscription, at the very low price 
of one guinea, but a few were sold 
at two pounds two shillings in sheets 
by the printer. Most unfortunately 
all the copper-plates, as well as the 
original drawings, were consumed by 
the great fire in Cornhill, Novem- 
ber 7, 1765. 
This alone prevented in his life- 
time a second edition of that work, 
for which he made considerable 
preparations, by many additional 
plants, and a few corrections in his 
several yoyages to these islands, for 
he was six different times in the West 
Indies ; in one of those trips he lived 
above twelve months in the island 
of Antigua: however, these obsers 
vations will, we trust, not b lost 
to the public, as he lately sent to 
sir Joseph Banks, P.R.S, ** A cata- 
logue of the plants growing in the 
sugar-islands,” &c. classed and de- 
scribed according to the Linnzan 
*C 2 systemy 
