LIFE AND CHARACTER 27 



beauties . . . yet, as I was never long satisfied with present 

 possession, however endowed with every possible charm to 

 attract the sight, or intrinsic value to engage and fix the esteem, 

 I was restless to be searching for more, my curiosity being 

 insatiable" (p. 34). 



Occasionally Bartram may rationalize his curiosity, justifying 

 his driving impulse on the ground that it results in public good. 

 Thus when a young mechanic, who has accompanied him for 

 some days, suddenly decides to leave him, Bartram has no 

 regrets. " Our views," he philosophizes, " were probably totally 

 opposite; he . . . seemed to be actuated by no other motives, 

 than either to establish himself . . . where, by following his 

 occupation, he might be enabled to procure without much toil 

 and danger, the necessaries and conveniences; or by industry 

 and frugality, perhaps establish his fortune. Whilst I, continu- 

 ally impelled by a restless spirit of curiosity, in pursuit of new 

 productions of nature, my chief happiness consisted in tracing 

 and admiring the infinite power, majesty and perfection of the 

 great Almighty Creator, and in the contemplation, that through 

 divine aid and permission, I might be instrumental in discover- 

 ing, and introducing into my country, some original productions 

 of nature, which might become useful to society" (p. 73). 



Sometimes his curiosity led him into danger, as when he fought 

 off the onslaughts of alligators and although he was employing 

 his time in paddling close along the shore, he yet " could not 

 forbear looking . . . behind" (p. 126). Always it led him into 

 hardship. "Next morning early," he records, "sat off, on my 

 return, and taking a different path back, for the sake of variety, 

 though somewhat farther about, and at a greater distance from 

 the banks of the river. ..." (p. 412). And sometimes it en- 

 tailed the risking of his health. " Although my health was not 

 established, feverish symptoms continuing to lurk about me, I 

 resolved, notwithstanding, immediately to embrace this offer, 

 and embarked again . . ." (p. 413). 



There is no undue pride in Bartram's admissions of his yield- 

 ing to his " attendant spirit." For modesty, we have seen, was 

 another outstanding characteristic of his personality. The record 

 of his exploits is written with a winning humility. He accepts 

 them as mere facts behind which God's wisdom operates. A 



