424 On the Transportation of Plants from China to 



Europeans are generally supplied with the plants, which 

 they send, or carry home ; and it surely cannot be sur- 

 prising that plants so treated commonly die on the 

 passage. 



About fifteen years ago, Mr. William Kerr was sent 

 from the Royal Gardens at Kew, for the purpose of col- 

 lecting Chinese plants, to increase the splendid stores of that 

 establishment. Infinite pains seemed to have been taken in 

 framing his instructions. The chests and boxes formed for 

 the reception of the plants, were contrived with the greatest 

 judgment; and every facility was secured for the ready 

 transmission to Kew of all the plants which he might wish to 

 send there : yet, on a comparison of the number of plants 

 which he sent on board the Honourable Company's ships, 

 with those which arrived in good health at the Royal Gar- 

 dens, it will be quite clear that he was not successful ; upon 

 the whole, not more fortunate than the private adventurer, 



The principal error in Kerr's appointment, seems to 

 me to have been, the want of sufficient encouragement. 

 His salary was almost too small for his necessary wants, 

 and he consequently lost respect and consideration in the 

 eyes even of the Chinese assistants, whom he was obliged 

 to employ. I have not the slightest doubt but his failure 

 is to be attributed, chiefly, to the necessity he was under of 

 associating with inferior persons, from his deficiency of 

 means^to support himself more respectably. Had his emo- 

 luments been sufficiently ample, to have enabled him to 

 be master of his time, I am persuaded, that it would have 

 been well employed; and I am confident that he would 

 have highly deserved encouragement. In justice, I must 



