V ol. III. Mifcella^ea Curiofa, 281 



j4 Letter from Mr. John Clay^ 

 ton Re^or of Crofton at Wake- 

 field in Yorkfhire^ to the Royal 

 Society^ May 11. 1688. giv^ 

 ing an ylccount of feveral Ob- 

 fervables in Virginia , and in 

 his J^oyage thither^ more parti- 

 cularly concerning the Air. . . 



HAving oftentimes been urged to give an 

 Account of Firginia^ by feveral of the 

 Worthy Members of the Royal Society, I 

 cannot but, as far forth as I am able, obey 

 Commands whereby Tm fo much honoured, 

 and fhow my Refpeft by my ready Compli- 

 ance \ tho' I am fo fenfible of my own Weak- 

 nefs and Incapacity to anfwer your Exped- 

 ations, that before-hand I mull Apologize for 

 my felf. And indeed by Sea I loft all my 

 Books, Chymical Inftruments, Glafles and 

 Microfcopes, which rendred me uncapable 

 of making thofe Remarks and Obfervations 

 I had defigned, they were all caft away in 

 Captain Wtn\ Ship, as they were to follow 

 me ; and Virginia being a Country where one 

 cannot furnilh ones felf again with fuch 

 things, I was difcourag'd from making fo di- 

 ligent a Scrutiny as otherwife I might have 



