PLANT COLLECTORS, ETC. 121 



Doubtless, Sir Joseph Banks and Sir George Yonge were at 

 the bottom of this proposal. Banks had been a member 

 since 1764. General Melville put his heart into the matter. 

 When the sale of Crown Lands shortly afterward took 

 place, it was agreed that Young should apply for a piece 

 of land for a Botanic Garden. An allotment was presently 

 made by the Crown Commissioners, about a mile north of 

 the town of Kingston. It was at first about twenty acres 

 in extent. At his own expense, the Governor had it 

 cleared and planted, and appointed Dr. Young superin- 

 tendent. The ground was improved and cultivated ; and 

 furnished with a great variety of rare and beautiful exotics, 

 in addition to an ample culture of native plants. A 

 dwelling-house and laboratory were erected. Here the 

 Doctor remained in charge for a long time. In 1774 he 

 reported progress to the Society of Arts ; and they re- 

 warded him, in addition to their hearty approval, with 

 a present of fifty guineas. 



General Melville's governorship ceased in 1771. His 

 successor was Valentine Morris, as Captain-General of the 

 Island ; an old friend of Sir Joseph Banks, and an ardent 

 horticulturist. He took up the interests of the garden 

 in earnest. During the Anglo-Franco-American War 

 St. Vincent suffered bitterly, but on the recession of the 

 Island to Great Britain in 1784 everything revived. 

 Alexander Anderson, who had been assistant-surgeon 

 with Dr. Young, was made superintendent, and soon 

 restored the garden to its former glories. He had many 

 difficulties at starting ; but official interference was 

 speedily nullified when Banks, and Sir George Yonge, 1 

 and other friends came forward and testified to his zeal 

 and the value of his services. It appears from a memo- 

 randum of Sir Joseph, that the Marquis de Bouille, 

 French Governor of the Windward Islands during the 

 war, met General Melville in London. They fraternized, 



1 Secretary for War, 1783-94. 



