PETER LOEFLING. 79 



AH thefe contributed to make his journey both 

 ufeful and agreeable. At Madrid where he ar- 

 rived, after having been feventeen days on the 

 road Loejiing began to fear he mould find neither 

 botanifts, nor friends, nor patrons : but the gloom 

 which this thought had fpread over his counte- 

 nance, was foon changed into joy and content- 

 ment, by the recommendation of Mr. Godin, 

 who introduced him into the beft companies, 

 and prefented him to Don Carvajal, who fa- 

 voured him with a kind and gracious recep- 

 tion. 



The moft unexpected thing to him was the 

 great number of lovers of botany, which he 

 found at Madrid. Four of them deferve chiefly 

 to be mentioned : viz. Don Jofeph Ortega, chief 

 apothecary to the army, and fecretary of the 

 phyfical academy at Madrid ; Don Minuart chief 

 apothecary to the hofpitals ; Don §h/er 9 firft 

 furgeon to the king, who had a fplendid bota- 

 nical garden, and a moft elegant collection of 

 plants j and Don Chriftoval Velez, apothecary 

 and examinator of the College of Phyficians, 

 who was poffeffed of a choice colledion of 

 botanical books, of a grand Hortus Siccus, and 

 had drawn up a Flora Madritenfts. Thefe gen- 

 tlemen found cur young botanift much to their 

 liking s he was careffed by every one, and their 



houfes. 



