460 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



\Tliefollowing Letters of Mr. Ray, without date, are pre- 

 served in the Library of Sir Hans Sloane, and as it 

 is difficult to assign any particular period to their 

 authorship, I have inserted them in this place '.] 



Mr. RAY to [Mr. PETIVEK?]. 



SIR, T. received yours of Feb. 3d, mistaken, I suppose, 

 for March, but aui but in bad condition to return answer. 

 I suppose Mr. Smith hath acquainted you how I am at 



present. Yet since my last to him a sad accident hath 

 befallen me; part of the flesh of one of [my] insteps by 

 degrees blackening is come to putrefy and corrupt. I 



suppose it is a beginning gangrene. 



I very much approve what you advise concerning the 

 addition of F. Plumier's Catalogue of American plants : 

 but I cannot without great difficulty write to Dr. Hotton ; 

 and should I write, I fear it would come too late. 



The heads of Rumphius's History I heard nothing of 

 from Dr. Sherard, which I much wonder at. 



The sending the Chusan plants you may please to 

 respite for the present, for I can do nothing now. I shall 

 add no more, but that I am, 



Sir, 

 Yours to serve you in what I can, 



JOHN RAY. 



