302 JOHN BARTRAM TO [1741. 



I doubt not but thy brother Moses, as he walks the fields, and 

 woods, and river sides, will assist ; and brother Johnny also, will 

 look for Land Shells, Snails, &c. when he goes abroad to collect 

 seeds. My respects to thy good father. I wrote him a long letter 

 July 7th, in answer to his of 15th May. 



[The preceding is probably the last letter from P. Collinson to 

 the Bartrams, as his death took place on the 11th of August, just 

 twenty-four days after the date of this to William.] 



JOHN BARTRAM TO SIR HANS SLOANE.* 



July the 22d, 1741. 



Desired friend, 



Sir Hans Sloane : my good, faithful friend Peter Collinson, 

 in his last letter to me, that I received, acquainted me that thee 

 desired I would send thee some petrified representations of Sea 

 Shells. Accordingly, I have sent thee a few, which I gathered 

 toward the northward, the latter end of last May, which was 

 before I received the before-mentioned letter. I hope these may 

 find acceptance ; so as to introduce a further correspondence. 

 However, I design to send thee another collection by Captain 

 Wright (who talks of sailing by the latter end of August) ; when 

 I hope to give thee a fuller demonstration that I am thy vigilant 

 and industrious friend. 



SIR HANS SLOANE TO JOHN BARTRAM. 



Sir: 



I am very much obliged to you for several Natural Curiosities, 



* Sir Hans Sloane, an eminent physician and naturalist, "was born in 1660, 

 at Killileagh, in Ireland ; took his degree at Montpellier ; settled in London, in 

 1684 ; and became a fellow of the College, and a member of the Royal Society. 

 In 1687, he went to Jamaica, as physician to the Duke of Albemarle ; and during 

 the fifteen months that he remained there, he made a valuable collection of ob- 

 jects of Natural History. After his return to London, he acquired great reputa- 

 tion, and an ample fortune. He was Secretary, and, on the decease of Newton, 

 President of the Royal Society ; President of the College of Physicians ; Physi- 

 cian-General to the Army ; Physician to George II. ; and was created a baronet. 

 He died in 1752, aged ninety-two years. Sir Hans bequeathed the whole of his 

 immense collection of Natural Curiosities, Medals, and books, to the public, on 

 payment of a comparatively trifling sum ; and it constitutes the basis of the Bri- 

 tish Museum. His chief work is a Natural History of Jamaica, in two ponderous 

 folio volumes. Blake's Biographical Dictionary. 



