392 Nations lately become Literary. 



ton, Dr. Dexter, of Cambridge, and, in a few 

 years afterwards, by several others, in different 

 parts of the continent. This department of phy- 

 sical science is much more studied in the Middle 

 and Southern States than in New-England. 



The arrival of Dr. Priestley in the United 

 States gave a spring to the study of Chemistry on 

 this side of the Atlantic. This celebrated Philo- 

 sopher possesses an ardour and activity of mind, 

 which are eminently fitted to influence those with 

 whom he has any intercourse, and to draw the 

 public attention to the objects which he pursues. 

 And although he still adheres to a system of doc- 

 trines which a great majority of Chemists consider 

 as erroneous, yet his numerous experiments and 

 publications on the subject since he has resided in 

 the United States, have contributed to excite a 

 spirit of inquiry, and to improve the public taste 

 for chemical philosophy. 



The votaries of Natural History in the United 

 States, though not numerous, are respectable, and 

 have rendered important services to this branch of 

 science. Besides those of this class whose names 

 were mentioned in preceding pages, a few others 

 are entitled to particular notice. The Rev. Dr. 

 Cutler, Mr. Peck, and Dr. Wateriiouse, of 

 Massachusetts; Dr. Mitchill, of New- York; the 

 Rev. Dr. Muhlenberg, and Mr. Marshall, of 

 Pennsylvania; and Mr. Walter/ of South-Caro- 

 lina, are all advantageously knovvn by their pub- 

 lications on different branches of Natural History. 

 But, among the natural historians now living in 



/ Thomas Walter was a native of England, a man of liberal educa- 

 tion, and much devoted to Botany. Ke settled in South-Carolina, a few 

 miles from the city of Charleston, where he resided a number of years as a 

 planter, and where he died towards the close of the eighteenth century. 

 He published his Flora Carolir.iana in 1788. He introduced a new species 

 of grass, from which much was expected ; but it did not stand the test of 

 time. 



