of John Bartram and Humphry Marshall. 87 
“He began his travels at his own expense. His various ex- 
cursions rewarded his labors with the possession of a great variety 
of new, beautiful and useful trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. 
His garden at length attracting the visits and notice of many 
virtuous and ingenious persons, he was encouraged to persist in 
his labors.” This naturally led to a correspondence with the 
naturalists of Europe. His earliest and his principal corres- 
pondent was Peter Collinson, the London merchant, and member 
of the Royal Society, a most amiable man, dear old gossip, who 
loved above all things to receive novelties and accounts of curi- 
ous things from distant parts and to share them with the savans 
of the day. He is well known by his correspondence with 
Linneeus, published by Sir James E. Smith, and with Franklin, 
published in President Sparks’s ccllection of the philosopher’s 
writings and correspondence; and a portion of his characteristic 
letters to Cadwallader Colden may be remembered by the readers 
of this Journal.* His letters to Bartram occupy more than half the 
bulk of the correspondence now published, and exhibit the good 
London merchant in a very pleasing light. They cover the 
whole period from 1734 to Collinson’s death in 1768, a period of 
thirty-four years; and the earliest of the series found among the 
rtram papers evidently does not commence the correspondence. 
The originals of the letters addressed by Bartram to Collinson are 
probably not extant. Those here published are from copies or 
original draughts preserved by the writer. The first of the series 
is dated May, 1738; so that we have none in reply to those of 
Collinson during the four earlier years, which is much to be re- 
gretted. 
In the second letter here published, the good Collinson initiates 
John Bartram into the art and mystery of preparing dri ci- 
mens of plants. The botanist of the present day may be some- 
what surprised to learn that a “ quire of whited-brown paper” was 
thought amply sufficient to hold a year’s collection. 
“London, January 24th, 1735. 
ceptance. Iam very sensible of the great pains, and many tiresome 
'N proportion to thy trouble, I have sent thee a small token: a calico 
gown for thy wife, and some odd little things that may be of use 
amongst the children and family. They come ina box s to 
my worthy friend, Joseph Breintnall, with another parcel of waste 
Paper, which will serve to wrap up seeds, &c. But there is two quires 
p eats from the scientific correspondence of Cadwallader Colden, vol. xliy, 
» 80, 3. - 
