1837.] Proposed new Work on Indian Botany, 409 



APPENDIX. 



Madras, 15th October, IS37. 



Sir, — I have now much pleasure in sending you a specimen of the 

 work spoken of at page 74 of the last Number of the Journal. The plant 

 figured is a new species of the natural order Ascl^iadcB, nearly the 

 whole impression of which has been struck off from my own press. 

 I may here observe that I am well aware of my present imperfections 

 in the difficult art of Lithography, but, as every successive trial exhibits 

 some improvement on the preceding one, I am encouraged to anticipate 

 ample success, when some further practice has conferred skill in the 

 management of the press and in the performance of the various mani- 

 pulations to be gone through in the process of printing from stone, and 

 trust that my first number will afford satisfactory evidence of the 

 style in which the work will be finished ; thinking, at the same time, 

 that the specimen now put forth may be looked upon, all things consi- 

 dered, as an earnest that the work itself will be found an useful aid to 

 Indian botanists and by no means discreditable to the state of the 

 arts in India. 



Emboldened by this early success, it is with no ordinary feelings of 

 satisfaction, that I contemplate the prospect which it holds out, of 

 enabling me to carry into effect a design which ten years ago I was 

 preparing to enter upon, the publication, namely, of a series of figures 

 of Indian plants, under the title of Illustrations of Indian Botany : suc- 

 cess being rendered more certain by the advantages derivable from my 

 present official situation, as the work may be looked upon as part of 

 the duties of my office ; and, in this light, has received the sanction 

 and approbation of the Madras Government. 



These Illustrations have been undertaken in the hope of effectually 

 aiding the advancement of botanical science among us, and thereby 

 extending our acquaintance with numerous curious and useful plants, 

 the value of which is known to few, or the knowledge is confined 

 to particular districts, though the plants themselves may be 

 widely distributed ; and in the not less cheering expectation of 

 permanently bringing to light, under systematic denominations, 



