BOOK ir. CFIAP. VIII. 135 



private gentlemen have exeited their fingle efiorts in fupport of it, 

 and laudably devoted pwn of their fortunes to this end, in ft; ad of 

 wafting it in unprofitable diiiipations. 'i'lic ifland of ]'.:naica 

 has never v/aiucd gentlemen of diftinguilhed tafte for the fine, as 

 well as the more ufeful and oeconomical, arts; and, (Ince tlie ifland 

 is fo opulent, that the charge of fuch an app')intment would hard!/ 

 be felt, what more favourable circumftances can be hoped to 

 concur, either towards enfuring fuccefs in the undertaking, or 

 giving the public that fatisfodory knowledge of foils, climates, and 

 produdtions, that, while it gratifies the //lerali, may alio tend to 

 improve and people this country ? The want of a liberal educa- 

 tion, or an attention of the whole foul to get iiioney, as if it were 

 the only rational objeil of purluit in this world, has occafioned 

 men in general- to treat the iludy of natural hiltory, and its fol- 

 lowers, with contempt and ridicule ; all are indifcriminately con- 

 founded with the defpicabh tribe of infedl-hunters,. and coUeftors 

 of gimcracks. We ihould, however, be cautious to feparate from 

 this drofs all thofe, whofe labours conduce to the moft ufeful pur- 

 pofes of life; who' not only dilclofe to us the wonderful mecha- 

 nifm of the creation, and the wifdom of the Deity ; but exemplify 

 his unbounded benevolence to man, while they inftruft us in the 

 means by which our health may be. preferved, our life prolonged, 

 our agriculture improved, manufiiclures enlarged and multiplied, 

 commerce and trade extended, and the public enriched. I mufl 

 Gonfef^, that thi-s ufeful purfuit has not been without its fautors in 

 Jamaica. Sir Hans Sloane firft laid open a new fcene of American 

 produftions, not much known bciore to the- learned in Europe. 

 Yet, before his time, tlie fcicnce was cultivated in this ifland by 

 Dr. Barham, whom Sir Hans frequently quotes, and whole manu- 

 fcripts were never publifhed. Some time afterwards, Dr. Patrick 

 Brown undertook a funilar w'ork, containing many undefcribed 

 plants and animals : this work he u'as enabled to publiih chiefty 

 by the fubfcription of the gentlemen of the ifland. The late Dr. 

 Anthony Robinfon likewife made a colledion of feveral hundred 

 figures and defcriptions of Jamaica plants and animals ; the greater 

 part of which are non-defcripts : but he unfortunately died before 

 it could be digefted into a re;!,ular feries for publication. This 



work^ 



