114 
FRANCIS MASSON. 
By James Brirren, F.L.S. 
An enquiry by Mr. N. E. Brown as to the whereabouts of 
certain drawings sent by Francis Masson to Sir Joseph Banks, 
has induced me to carry out an intention, formed some time since, 
of publishing a fuller account of this early collector in South 
Africa than has hitherto appeared. Notices of him will be found 
in Laségue’s ‘ Musée Botanique de M. Delessert’ (pp. 178, 179); 
in ‘ Rees’ Cyclopedia,’ the beat published summary of his work; 
it the ‘Annals of Botany,’ ii., 592; and in the ‘ Gardeners’ 
Chronicle,’ n.s., xvi., 335. To | the particulars givén in these books 
I have been enabled to add considerably from various sources, 
The fact that the greater part o on’s collections 1s m 
the British eae and that these have been peaches ignored by 
writers upon uth African botany, seems to me t o afford an ad- 
al and energy of the former and the value of the latter are 
so manifest that it is unnecessary to draw witention to them. 
Francis Masson was born at Aberdeen in August, 1741, became 
a gardener, made his way to London, and entered the Royal 
€ previous year, ‘‘ suggested to his Majesty the idea of sending 4 
ae ae neat a gardener, to the Cape, to collect seeds and 
plan e Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. His Majesty was 
Sieny et if to adopt the plan, though, ” says Masson, from 
the preface to whose ‘ Stapelie Nove’ we are quoting, ‘‘at that 
time so little approved by the public, that no one but myself chose 
to Satta the execution of it. I sailed for the Cape m 
of which, on his return to England, he abled an account 
in the ‘ Philosophical earsiatione vol. iri: pp. 268-817. On 
his first journey ei aun. 10, 1772—Jan. 18, 1778), - mye: he was 
hm e | 
“attended by a This yes Oldenbur. 
from Thunberg (FI. Wensnaie p. 6), who, speaking o of Mask. says 
‘‘ Anno 1772 brevius cum D, Ollerbons iter instituit.”* The 
Oldenburg’s plants—about 1000 in number—are in the British Muse 
Herbarium, having been acquired by Sir Joseph Banks; a MS. note by Mr. 
a memet incitatus et eruditus, in campis rbem circumjacentibus comes sepe 
meus indefessus Anno 1772 fuit, et eodem anno iter cam D. Masson instituens; 
plantarum copiam collegit. Anno 1774 insulam Madagascar adiit, ubi febri 
maligna correptus diem obiit supremum.”—Fl, Cap. 6, 7. 
