124 notice of Billings'^ s discoveries, ct. JO.i 



prehend the means of correcting these. Thinking superficial- 

 ly, and writing boldly, is all that is necefsary for the one i 

 SI mind capable of the most vigorous stretch of compre- 

 hension is required for tbe other : a pamphlet may suffice 

 for the one ; but for the other, a work of g reat extent, 

 and profound investigation, would be required. Need I 

 add, that the first would have many readers, who would 

 think they understood, and therefore who liked it ; the 

 last would find few who would read it, and fewer still who 

 could comprehend it. 



NOTICE OF BILLINGS'S DISCOVERIES 



IN THE NORTHERN ARCHIPELAGO. 



• Our readers are already informed of the general progrefs 

 made by captain Billings, Bee vol.ix. p. 6i. That enter- 

 prising navigator, in the course of his voyages among 

 the notthem Archipelago, picked up a great many animals, 

 plants, and articles of drefs of the natives, which he sent 

 in s veral boxes to the emprefs. Mr Pallas had not had lei- 

 sure at the time our information left Rufsia, to examine the 

 animals j but he had distinguilhed among the plants, several 

 new kinds q{ sophoro, croton, gnapha/ui/n, andromeda, poten- 

 tilla, artem'isia, and rhododendron ; — a black lily, whose rpots 

 are tuberculosa, and serve as food to the natives; — a new 

 perennial gramina, whose stalk is very large, and contains 

 a great quantity of grain proper for the nourlihment of 

 man j — several legumina, likewise fit for food, — a kin.^ of 

 Jir, — a species of sorbus, — and a dwarf willow. These 

 trees, which do not rise above three feet high, arc the on- 

 ly ones which grow in the isles Kourites and Alcjtites, 

 where they found the Alpine plants of Kamschatka and W- 

 beria. It is much to be regretted, that captain Billings 

 could not send seeds of these plants, as he visited theie 

 islands, before they had attained maturity. 

 ^otes to correspondents deferred. 



