CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 345 



Mr. RAY to Dr. HANS SLOANE. 



Black Notley, October 26, 98. 



SIR, I want words to express the sense I have of 

 your extraordinary and unmerited kindness, in making 

 us so many noble and rich presents. Sincere gratitude, 

 and a ready owning and professing my obligations to you, 

 is all the amends you are to expect from a person in so 

 mean circumstances, not for want of will, but ability, to 

 requite. My wife is very much taken with the quality, 

 as weH^as quantity, of your largess, the fineness and 

 fatness of the sugar. She returns you her very humble 

 service and thanks, and so do my girls. 



The sores upon my legs continue still very painful and 

 troublesome, with little intermission, night and day. I 

 have not yet made use of your advice ; indeed I thought 

 it not safe to do so without first cutting issues to carry 

 off the humour ; and I desire your opinion whether you 

 think it safe or advisable to dry up the sores without 

 making some provision to drain the blood of the humour 

 that used to be evacuated that way. 



Dr. Preston's dried plants I shall take care to send up 

 whithersoever he shall direct, so soon as I shall receive 

 orders from him. I should be glad of any of his 

 observations relating to the method of plants, in which 

 he is very knowing and curious. 



I should be glad to see Monsieur Tournefort's Latin 

 edition of his ' Botanic Elements,' which I cannot but 

 wonder he defers thus long. 



I hear of several new botanic pieces come over, viz. of 

 Paul Herman, Signor Boccone, &c, 



I have lately received a letter from Father Camelli, a 

 Jesuit, living at Manilla, in the Philippine Islands, with 

 some draughts and descriptions of plants growing there, 

 of which, I suppose, Mr. Petiver hath given you an 

 account. 



