102 THE BOTANISTS OF PHILADELPHIA. 



Humphry Marshall also writes to Benjamin Franklin 

 in 1785, and suggests that his cousin, William Bartram, and 

 his nephew, Dr. Marshall, would be willing to explore the 

 w^estern part of the United States if they should meet with 

 proper encouragement, and thinks that the Philosophical 

 Society, or possibly Congress, would give them substantial 

 support. This appears to have been the work that the elder 

 Marshall had mapped out for him, and it is evident that 

 Dr. Marshall was favorable to such an undertaking, for in 

 1778 he writes to Dr. Lettsom : " I have, indeed, had a design 

 highly favorable to discoveries in view — a journey to the 

 Mississippi westward, but have not yet been at leisure to 

 prosecute it." 



He had, already, in 1784, taken his first trip in search 

 of seeds and botanical specimens. This was almost 

 immediately after entering the family of his uncle, and 

 consisted in going to Pittsburg with the wagons and return- 

 ing by the same route. He writes from Bedford to his 

 uncle : " We have been among the pine mountains, where 

 we have seen cucumber trees, rhododendrons, mountain 

 raspberries, and yesterday about Juniata the broad willow- 

 leaved oak and the red-berried elder. In coming along I 

 have seen many strange plants, but may be chiefly varieties 

 of what we have already. However, I shall gather what 

 seed I can of any such or bring the plants." He kept a 

 journal of the trip, which has been preserved. He also 

 speaks of having seen the horse-chestnut and of getting 

 specimens to bring home. 



In 1786 Sir Joseph Banks wrote to Humphry Mar- 

 shall asking for a hundred weight of the fresh roots of the 



