CHAP. II. 



BRITISH ISLANDS, 



in 



make furtlier additions to their botanical coll«;tions ,* and, in the 

 execution of these commands, he gave such satisfaction, that he 

 was honoured, by special appointment, with the title of Botanical 

 Collector to their Imperial Majesties the Emperor Paul and the 

 Empress Marie, under the sign manual of each, dated Paulow- 

 skoe, August, 1 798 ? and in furtherance of this commission he 

 again, with his son John, in 1799, 1800, and J801, visited the 

 southern states of North America, the Isle of Cuba, the Ba- 

 hamas, &c. In their passage to the Havannah, from the United 

 States, they were sliipwrecked, and saved themselves, with great 

 difficulty, in the Cayos, a small island at the entrance of the 

 Old Channel. In Cuba they had the good fortune to meet 

 with the celebrated travellers Baron von Humboldt and Aime 

 Bonpland, and from these generous men of science they re- 

 ceived every assistance and kind recommendations to the 

 authorities at the Havannah. After an absence of more than 

 two years, Mr. Eraser returned to England with many new and 

 valuable discoveries. (In 1800, the Hortus Kewensis records 

 the introduction of thirteen new plants by the Erasers, and in 

 1801 two more, Andromed^z cassinMYm and Magnolia cordata.) 

 He again went to Russia, but, in consequence of the sudden 

 termination of the life of the Emperor Paul, he was unsuc- 

 cessful, as his services were neither acknowledged nor requited 

 by the Emperor Alexander, He made two visits afterwards to 

 the capital of Russia, and to Moscow, in a fruitless attempt 

 to obtain a just remuneration for his arduous and perilous em- 

 ployment. 



In the vicinity of Matanzas, in Cuba, they discovered a beau- 

 tiful species of palm, with silvered leaves (Corypha miraguama 

 Humb. et Bon.^ Nov. Gen. 1. p. 290.), the leaves of which pro- 

 duce a most beautiful and durable material for the manufacture 

 of ladies' hats and bonnets. These were woven by the hand, all 

 in one piece, without sewing, in a new and peculiai' manner : a 

 patent was taken out for making them, and the manufacture was 

 patronised by Her Majesty the late Queen Charlotte, and con- 

 ducted under the management of his sister, Mrs. Christiana Eraser, 

 through whose great perseverance in teaching many young per- 

 sons the secret of the work, employment was afforded to a 

 number of hands. Subsequently the manufactory proved un- 

 successful, from want of capital, more than any other cause. 



In 1806, 1807, 1808, 1809, Mr. Eraser made his last ex- 

 cursions to North America, in company with his eldest son. 

 (The Hortus Kewefisis records nine new plants introduced by 

 them in 1809.) After this, he remained at his nursery in 

 Sloane Square, carrying on the business there, in which, how- 

 ever, he was not successfuL Here frequent disappointments, 

 ill-treatment, and other circumstances, all tended to break down 



K 2 



