11 



course of three hundred miles down to the sea, and is 

 . about the same distance from its source in the mountains. ' ' 



It is to be noted from the above that early in the eight- 

 eenth century he raised the means for a voyage to the 

 New World, where he arrived in 1712. The greater part of 

 the period of this first trip was spent in Virginia. In 1719 he 

 returned to England with a collection of plants, which was 

 reported to have been the most complete ever before car- 

 ried to England from the Colonies. This attracted the at- 

 tention of men of science, especially Sir Hans Sloane and 

 Dr. William Sherard, two of the greatest naturalists then 

 alive. Catesby remained in England for some time arrang- 

 ing and naming his specimens, a considerable number of 

 which passed into the museum of Sir Hans Sloane. Here 

 he was led and assisted by his scientific friends to revisit 

 America, and took up his residence in South Carolina in 

 1722. He traversed the coast and made distant excursions 

 into the interior, collecting materials for his work. 



Quoting _ further from the preface of this same work: 

 ' 'After my coritinuence almost three years in Carolina and 

 the adjacent parts, (which the Spaniards call Florida, par- 

 ticularly that province lately honored with the name of 

 Georgia,) I' went to Providence, one of the Bahama Is- 

 lands. * * * Both in Carolina and on 

 these Islands, I made successive collections of dried plants 

 and seeds, and at these islands more particularly, I collect- 

 ed many submarine productions, as shells, corallines, fru- 

 tices marini, sponges, af roites, etc. ' ' 



A better general description of his method of treatment 

 of the plants cannot be given than that he himself gives. 

 "I had principally a regard to forest trees and shrubs, 

 showing their several mechanical and other uses, as in 

 building, joynery, agriculture, food and medicine. I have 

 likewise taken notice of those plants that will bear our 

 English climate, which I have experienced from what I 

 have growing at Mr. Bacon's, successor of the late Mr. 

 Fair child at Haxton. . * * * * 



"As to the plants, I have given them the English and 

 Indian names they are known by in these countries; and 



