316 CORRESPONDENCE OF RAY. 



Mr. Eay to Dr. Hans Sloane. 



Black Notley, April 2, —97. 



Sir, — Wednesday night last, after I had sent away my 

 letter giving advice of the receipt of the box of sugar, 

 your parcel of submarine plants came. The carrier's 

 excuse for not deHvering it together with the box was, 

 that it was put up in a pack which was not then opened. 

 I was no less troubled at this delay or neglect of the car- 

 rier, than I knew you would be for fear of the loss or 

 miscarriage of papers of so great concern, and therefore 

 thought it necessary by the lirst opportunity to send you 

 word of their safe arrival. I shall, with what speed I can, 

 make my excerpta out of them, and remit them to you ; 

 and what I borrow out of them I shall do the author 

 right in acknowledging. 



Last week Mr. Smith sent me a large Dutch herbal of 

 Abraham Muntingius, of a very fair letter and paper, and 

 beautified with many figures of more rare or nondescript 

 plants. But it will be of little use to me, being written 

 in Dutch, which language 1 understand not, and because 

 the Latin names are his own, without synonymes or re- 

 ferences to any author that hath written of plants. The 

 book hath formerly been printed, but this edition is much 

 larger, and hath more than double the number of sculps. 

 Possibly I may be impertinent in telhng you of a book 

 you know much better than myself. This being a busy 

 time, I shall add no more than that I am. 



Sir, 

 Your very affectionate and much obliged friend 



and humble servant, 



Jo. Ray. 



For his honoured friend, Dr. Hans Sloane, 



at liis house at the corner of Southampton street, 

 towards Bloomsbury square, London. 



