vi PREFACE. 



failures, arts and fciences. Dr. Linneeus 

 found the propofal juft, but he thought that 

 a journey through North America would be 

 yet of a more extenfive utility, than that 

 through the before-mentioned countries; 

 for the plants of America were then little 

 known, and not fcientifically defcribed, and 

 by feveral trials, it feemed probable that the 

 greateft part of the North American plants, 

 would bear very well the Swedi/Ji winters j 

 and what was more important, a great many 

 American plants promifed to be very ufeful 

 in hufbandry and phyfic. 



Thus far this journey was a mere fcheme; 

 but as Captain Triewald, a man well known 

 for his abilities in England, gave his Obfer- 

 'vations on the Cultivation of Silk in a feries of 

 Memoirs to the Royal Academy of Sciences, 

 and mentioned therein a kind of mulberry 

 tree, which was difcovered by Dr. Linneeus, 

 and which bore the rigours of the Swedijh 

 climate as well as a fir or pine tree ; this 

 circumftance revived the propofal of fuch a 

 journey in the year 1745. Count "TeJ/in, a 

 nobleman of eftablimed merit both in the 

 political and learned world, becoming pre- 

 fident of the Royal Academy, it was unani- 

 moufly agreed upon to fend ProfefTor Kalm to 

 North America. The expences were at fir ft 

 a great obftacle ; but the Royal Academy 



wrote 



