1738.1 T0 JOHN BARTRAM. 119 



JOHN BARTRAM TO P. COLLINSON. 



May, 1738. 



I am exceedingly pleased -with thy long letters, as thee calls 

 them ; but I wish they had been as long again. I shall make my 

 observations on them, as follows: 



December the 10th. I am almost overjoyed in reading the con- 

 tents of this letter, wherein thee acknowledges thy satisfaction of 

 my remarks on the Locusts, Caterpillars, Pigeons, and Snakes. I 

 am very thankful to thee, and the Royal Society, for taking so 

 much notice of my poor performances. It is a great encourage- 

 ment for me to continue my observations of natural phenomena. 

 If I see any Locusts this year, I shall be very particular in my re- 

 marks; as also the Papaw, to gratify thy curious friend, who, thee 

 says, will send me a specimen of his performances ; which will be 

 very acceptable. 



December the 14:th. I am glad my map of Schuylkill pleases 

 thee and Lord Petee. 



The Panthers have not seized any of our people, that I have 

 heard; but many have been sadly frightened with them. They 

 have pursued several men, both on horseback and foot. Many 

 have shot them down, and others have escaped by running away. 

 But I believe, as a Panther doth not much fear a single man, so 

 he hath no great desire to seize him; for if he had, running from 

 him would be a poor means to escape such a nimble, strong crea- 

 ture, which will leap above twenty feet at one leap. * * * 



* I take thy advice about books very kindly, although I love 

 reading such dearly : and I believe, if Solomon had loved women 

 less, and books more, he would have been a wiser and happier man 

 than he was. 



In thy letter of December the 20th, thee supposes me to spend 

 five or six weeks in collections for you, and that ten pounds will 

 defray all my annual expenses : but I assure thee, I spend more 

 than twice that time, annually; and ten pounds will not, at a 

 moderate expense, defray my charges abroad beside my neglect 

 of business at home, in fallowing, harvest, and seed time. 



Indeed, I was more than two weeks' time in gathering the small 

 acorns of the Willow-leafed Oak, which are very scarce, and fall- 

 ing with the leaves, so that daily I had to rake up the leaves and 

 shake the acorns out, before they were devoured by the squirrels 



