351 



228. 



Honorable Sir, 



The Pleasure I formerly enjoyed in a Gorrespondence wilh you has 

 been for a series of years past interrupted, by more wordly views; in 

 a word I maried & the cares of life grew so strong upon me that I 

 could not spare time for any researches in Natural History, in hopes 

 every year of compleating a modicum that would mentain me genteelly 

 & independent then to reassume my favorite task. But alass the best 

 projected scames sometimes abort & a Villain has disconcerted mine. I 

 live'd many years happily at S* Groix in as much business as I could 

 go thro & seldom laid by less than 3, or, 4 thous*? ps S. per annum un- 

 tell one Juhl a Villain under the title of Judge had under the Gloak of 

 friendship gott acquainted with my wife & debauched ber, as well as 

 some others of different families. This oblidged me to leave that Gountry 

 & her together; the Danes there are the most vile wreaches I have ever 

 known & generally combine to keep every foreigner from justice, I am 

 now in Mountserat a neibouring Island in the English government where 

 there is a Sulphureous Mountain constantly discharging ils contents thro 

 many springs & crevases by water & fumes; the former some clear & 

 hot depositing a quantity of Sulpher lincked with spar & I think Iron; 

 Sometimes the water is of a black-blue colour & equally hot depo[si]ting 

 a light substance of the same colour; which burns also; having the same 

 or a like c. mört. but this is mixed with a little Ältimen plwnosum, or 

 at least something resembling it appears in the Gracks when the crust 

 dries upon the stones that are taken out of the hot water. The Moun- 

 tains here are very high & generally moist which makes it the most 

 certain & best bed for vegetables of any I know & indeed it has a 

 number of very curious ones, which I shall take the hberty to trouble 

 you with soon. I have not one book of yours by me, so that 1 must 

 be at a loss what to write to you till I can gett them. I left many 

 curious Descriptions in S*^ Groix which if I receive I shall one day send 

 you. In this Island growes the Mathola? One of your imperfects, a 

 weakly shrub or shrubby climber with leave so rough as to polish Ivory, 

 it is a very handsome flowering shrub. Description of the flower is this. 



