CHAP. II. 



BRITISH ISLANDS. 



85 



den of Charlestown, John Bartram, Mark Catesby, and other 

 collectors. The progress of introduction was interrupted during 

 the eighth decade of the century (1771 to 1780), owing to the 

 breaking out of the American war ; but it revived with double 

 vigour between 1780 and 1800, during which period by far the 

 greater number of trees and shrubs introduced were received by 

 Conrad Loddiges, and chiefly from William Bartram, the son of 

 John. The Bartrams, indeed, and Andre Michaux, were the 

 great collectors of American plants during the 18th century. 

 Michaux sent almost every thing to France, by the government 

 of which he was sent out; but the Bartrams were Americans, 

 and corresponded chiefly with the Kew Botanic Garden, and 

 with the London nurserymen and amateurs. A number of trees 

 and shrubs were introduced during the 18th century by Mr. 

 Fraser, but we have been able to obtain very few particulars 

 respecting him, farther than that one of the same family is now 

 (1835) a respectable nurseryman at Ramsgate. 



John Bartram, one of the most distinguished of American 

 botanists, was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1701. 

 His grandfather, of the same name, accompanied William Penn 

 to this country in 1682. John Bartram v/as a simple farmer; 

 he cultivated the ground for subsistence, while he indulged an 

 insatiable desire for botany. He was self-taught in that science, 

 and in the rudiments of the learned languages, and medicine 

 and surgery. So great, in the end, was his proficiency in his 

 favourite pursuit, that Linnseus pronounced him " the greatest 

 natural botanist in the world." He made excursions, in the in- 

 tervals of agricultural labour, to Florida and Canada, herborising 

 with intense zeal and delight. At the age of 70, he performed a 

 journey to East Florida, to explore its natural productions ; at 

 a period, too, when the toils and dangers of such an expedition 

 far exceeded those of any similar one which could be undertaken 

 at the present time, within the limits of the United States. He 

 first formed a botanic garden in America, for the cultivation of 

 American plants as well as exotics. This garden, which is 

 situated on the banks of the Schuylkill, a few miles from Phila- 

 delphia, still bears his name. He contributed much to the 

 gardens of Europe, and corresponded with the most distinguished 

 naturalists of that quarter of the globe. Several foreign societies 

 and academies bestowed their honours upon him, and published 

 communications from him in their Tramactiom. John Bartram 

 died in 1777, in the 76th year of his age. At the time of his 

 death he held the office of American botanist to George III. of 

 EngUmd. He was amiable and charitable, and of the strictest 

 probity and temperance. {'Encyc. Amer.) 



Wilhara Bartram, fourth son of John Bartram, was born in 

 1739, at the Botanic Garden, Kingsessing, Pennsylvania. At the 



