EE PLE WE 
horticultural and agricultural use as he 
might consider serviceable in Russia. Mr. 
Fraser showed so much zeal.and ability in 
acquitting himself of this commission, that 
their Imperial Majesties, by an Ukase, 
signed Paul and Maria, dated Perlorskoe, 
August 1798, appointed him their Botani- 
cal Collector, with orders to furnish such 
other rare and novel plants, as he should 
recommend for the completion of the Im- 
perial Collections. In consequence of 
. these commands, Mr. Fraser, accompanied 
by his eldest son John, embarked in the 
year 1799, for the southern States of North 
America, where he prosecuted his re- 
searches in various unexplored parts of the 
k Continent, both North and South, proceed- 
the kind ai 
ing also far westerly. On the summit of 
the Great Roa or Bald Mountain, the 
main Apalichicola Ridge, which divides 
the eastern from the western waters, on a 
spot which commands a view of five states, 
namely, Kentucky, Virginia, Tenessee, 
North Carolina, and South Carolina, the 
eye ranging to a distance of seventy or 
eighty miles when the air is clear, North 
and N. West, South, S. E, and East, it 
was Mr. Fraser's good fortune to discover 
and collect living specimens of the new 
and splendid Rhododendron Catawbiense, 
from which so many beautiful hybrid vari- 
eties have since been obtained by skilful 
cultivators, 
EM completing this expedition in 
: America, he proceeded with his son 
in 1800 to the Island of Cuba, furnished 
with Passports as American citizens, ob- 
E With great difficulty, on account of 
wer then prevailing between Spain and 
Britain. But the voyage to Cuba 
Proved most disastrous, and had well nigh 
put a term to all our enterprising traveller’s 
sins & Coral Reef, about eighty 
boa windward of the Havannah, and 
Bh es from the main land. With six- 
e the crew, after six days of severe 
i M they were picked up by a Spanish 
K boat, and conveyed to the Port 
»in the Island of Cuba. Through 
d of the American Consul, per- 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JOHN FRASER. ‘ 
801 
mission was obtained for Fraser and his 
son to proceed over-land to Havannah, 
where they had the singular good fortune 
to meet with those celebrated Botanists 
and intrepid travellers, Baron Humboldt 
and M. Bonpland, in whose enlightened 
society they passed some time, preparatory 
to their journey into the mountains, the 
Baron having introduced them to the Go- 
vernor of Cuba, the Marquis de .Somoru- 
clos, who liberally granted them passports 
to travel and explore the island. The fact 
of these strangers being natives of Britain 
having been divulged in confidence by 
Humboldt to the Governor, that nobleman 
thus generously expressed himself, * My 
country, it is true, is at war with England, 
but not so with the pursuits of these tra- 
vellers.” 
In the mountainous districts of Cuba, 
many new and interesting plants rewarded 
their researches, among which the most 
highly prized for its beauty was the Jatro- 
pha pandurefolia. Returning to America 
in 1802, Mr. Fraser embarked from thence 
for England, carrying his collections with 
him, but misfortune again attended his way, 
after being at sea some time, the ship 
sprang a leak, and passengers and crew 
were compelled to labour at the pumps 
night and day, and finally succeeded in 
reaching the Port of Nassau, New Provi- - 
dence, in the West Indies, which was the 
nearest land they could make. On arriv- 
ing in England, after enduring all these 
sufferings and disappointments, a still hea- 
vier trial awaited Mr. Fraser in the intelli- 
gence which he received of the death of 
the Emperor Paul, his generous patron; 
and the fears which he entertained that his 
services might not meet with the recom- 
pence to which he deemed himself justly 
entitled were justified by the event, for on 
Mr. Fraser's repairing to St. Petersburgh, 
his claims were, after many months of dis- 
heartening delays, finally rejected by the 
Emperor Alexander, on the unworthy prin- 
ciple, that a reigning sovereign 18 wu 
sponsible for the engagements of his pre- 
decessor. From the Dowager Empress 
Maria, he received more gracious treat- 
