352 JOHN BARTRAM [1745. 



many curious things, which I hope, in short, to make public to the 

 whole world, and do as Plixius says : ingenuum est profiteri per 

 quern profeceris. 



Wishing you all health and prosperity, 



I remain your most obedient servant. 



J. F. Groxovius. 



Leyden, 25th of July, 1744. 







JOHN BARTRAM TO GRONOVIUS. 



December the 6th, 1745. 



Esteemed Friexd Doctor Groxovius : 



I have received thy kind letters of July the 25th, 1744, and 

 April the 14th, 1745, with thy observations on the Shells that I 

 sent thee, and the skin of the Fish, with its fins curiously displayed 

 on paper ; all which was very acceptable. But as I did not re- 

 ceive a line from thee since I sent those curiosities to thee, about 

 two years ago, until late this fall, so I could not procure any Fish, 

 nor Insects for thee. But since I received thy letters, I have rode 

 about the country to gather what I could for thee, and particularly 

 to the Loadstone cpiarry, and bought a few Loadstones, two of 

 which I send to thee for those two gentlemen who were so desirous 

 of them ; with whom I should be glad to correspond by letters ; 

 for I am ready to learn of any learned person that will be so kind 

 as to instruct me in any branch of Natural History, which is my 

 beloved amusement. 



The Loadstone lieth in a vein of a particular kind of stone 

 [Serpentine ?] that runs near east and west for sixty or seventy 

 miles or more, appearing even with, or a little higher than its sur- 

 face, at three, five, eight, or ten miles distance, and from ten to 

 twenty yards broad, generally mixed with some veins of cotton 

 [Asbestos]. 



The earth of each side is very black, and produceth a very odd, 

 pretty kind of Lyclinis, with leaves as narrow and short as our 

 Red Cedar, of humble growth, perennial, and so early as to flower, 

 sometimes, while the snow is on the ground [probably Arenaria 

 stricta, Mx.] ; also, a very pretty Alsine [perhaps Cerastium vil- 

 losum, Muhl., 0. oblong if olium, Torr.]. Hardly anything else 

 grows here. Our people call them Barrens; but if this black 

 light mould be spread upon other kinds of soil, it will produce corn 



