1742.] PETER COLLINSON. 161 



demonstrations of civility and respect that were convenient. He 

 is one of the most facetious, agreeable gentlemen, I ever met with; 

 and his capacity thee may judge of, by the last account he gave 

 thee of the economy of the Five Nations, and some other subjects 

 which he may soon acquaint thee with. I hope to give thee a 

 fuller account of him this fall, when I delineate the particularities 

 of my journey. 



I received thy kind letter of June the 16th, and the seeds and 

 book of Doctor Dillenius, last night. I take it to be the com- 

 pletest of that kind that ever was wrote ; for we don't read that 

 Solomon wrote of any plants of humbler growth than the Hyssop : 

 so I conclude he knew as little of Mosses, as he did of the plants 

 that grew beyond Mount Lebanon, or in America. 



I am just setting out towards Susquehanna, to gather seeds ; but 

 I question whether I shall go to the Five Nations. Our interpreter 

 was obliged to go with a gentleman from Maryland, to treat with 

 them, while I was on my journey from Hudson's River; which baffled 

 our conclusions. 



December 18th, 1742. 



Bear Peter : 



We are daily expecting Captain Stephens from London, and 

 many are almost out of hopes, and afraid the Spaniards have 

 catch ed him. 



I hope my cargo, sent in the Constantine, will come safe to thy 

 hands. I sent three boxes of shrubs ; but could not conveniently 

 dig up, or find, several plants which I thought to have sent, by 

 reason of the great snow that fell on the first day of November, 

 and the frost and several other snows that followed within two 

 weeks after : and I had a grievous bad time to gather the Pine 

 cones, near Egg Harbour, for the Duke of Norfolk. I climbed the 

 trees in the rain, in a desert, and lopped off the boughs ; then must 

 stand up to the knees in snow, to pluck off the cones. But now, 

 and for three weeks past, we have had fine weather ; and yester- 

 day, the frogs made a noise the birds sang and the bees flew 

 about, as in spring ; and I doubt it will be worse in next March, 

 if not in April. We, in Pennsylvania, have had a fine plentiful 

 harvest this year. 



I have been with our ingenious friend, Colden, who treated me 



11 



