144 
Dancer as Island Botanist. The allowance for the two 
xed at 8007. 
ardens was fi The duties of the Island Botanist 
W fined as follows: “To collect, class and describe the 
native plants of the island; to use his endeavours to find out 
ani 8, 
with such oe as he may have acquired relative to thelr 
uses and virtue 
For the purpose of rig aes the breadfruit and other Nese 
plants from the Botanic Garden the Committee of the use 
“appointed several ae for each county, to receive a 
distribute the allotments destined for them,” ge cea eased as 
sufficient numbers were prepared for he cr hairmen 
C 
proportions delivered and distributed, “ by pegin means,” it is 
ipasa stated, “ the public has deri iv ed all the advantages to be 
expected from these establishment 
During the — 1791-1807 the Committee in charge of the 
Botanic Gardens, with Mr. Sei es , greatly developed 
and improved t ha em. Inquiries made everywhere for new 
products ; thanks and a % wane voted rit the introduction 
of valuable plants ; and these were cultivated and distributed 
with m assiduity and care. In order to make the saap less 
dependen on America for supplies every encouragement was 
given to ies ag sitio of yams, cocoes, a eee a such 
products as t adfruit, zezegary or wanglo, nutmeg, clove, 
cinnamon, ingen pe coffee, it being helioeed that Da “ cultiva- 
tion of these valuable exotics ‘will, without doubt, in a course of 
years bape the dependence of the Sugar Islands on North 
America for food and necessaries ; and not only supply sub- 
ay for future generations, but, probably, furnish fresh 
incitements to arer S new improvements in the arts, and n 
subjects of commerce 
These beneficial efforts, long and successfully TENEN were 
however greatly relaxed after the year 1807, and under the 
influence of domestic troubles, want of due Lhedinten of the 
value and nature of Botanic Gardens, and the need of strict 
economy, a bill was introduced into the House of Assembly in 
i Bo 
d n 
brought to the credit of the public.” This bill was finally passed 
in Decemb ber, 1810, and, the Garden passing to private hands, 
many of the valuable plants contained in it, and collected with so 
much care and industry, were entirely lost. ‘(b ) 
The Garden at Bath was however oo though in a very 
reduced state, Dr. Stewart West acted for some time as Island 
Botanist bego was engaged in aabcane the hras that had been 
f the Gardens, for the purpose of propagating and 
distributing them 
(b) Gordon Town is still known as “ The Gardens,” 
