Cunningham. 
59 
CUNNINGHAM. 
In the period we are now fpeaking of, 
but few voyagers poffefied any confiderable 
knowledge of nature ; or a fpirit of en^ 
quiry, powerful enough to induce them to 
facrifice their avocations, from interefted 
purfuits, to the ftudy of natural hiftory. 
Sloane, Banister, and a few others^ 
were indeed exceptions; and, in this fketch, 
it would be injurious to his memory, not 
to add the name of James Cunningham, 
to whom Ray, and particularly Pluke- 
NET and Petiver, acknowledge important 
obligations, for his copious communica- 
tions of new plants. 
The merit of Mr. Cunningham would 
juflly demand a more complete gratification 
of curiofity concerning his life and circum- 
flances, than I can fupply. I can only 
colled:, that he vvent out in 1698, as fur- 
geon to the fad:ory, eftabliilied by the Eafl 
India Company at Family ^ or Amoy^ on the 
poaft of China 3 and afterwards, made a 
fecond 
