JOHN BARTRAM 55 



When Bartram was on his travels he stayed 

 some days with Dr. Alexander Garden in 

 Charleston, and it is rather amusing to read a 

 letter from Garden to John Ellis (in 1765) : 



" My dear friend, et mihi Magnus Apollo : 



" First of all let me inform you that I have 

 had Mr. Bartram for my guest for these nine 

 days past. He went this day for Cape Fear, from 

 whence he returns to me in about three weeks, and 

 then he proposes to set out for East Florida. I 

 have had many conversations with him, and have 

 endeavored to give him all the light and assist- 

 ance I could into the nature of the hot southern 

 climates, and their productions. I have been 

 several times into the country and places adja- 

 cent to town with him, and have told him the 

 classes, genera, and species of all the plants that 

 occurred, which I knew. I did this in order to 

 facilitate his enquiries, as I find he knows noth- 

 ing of the generic character of plants, and can 

 neither class them nor describe them; but I see 

 that, from great natural strength of mind and 

 long practice, he has much acquaintance with the 

 specific characters; though this knowledge is 

 rude, inaccurate, indistinct and confused, sel- 

 dom determining well between species and vari- 

 eties 



" This I hope will render his enquiries into 

 the Florida plants more certain and accurate; 



