ii SOME ACCOUNT OF 
for Poetry. The Faculty perceived the fervour 
with which our youth ftudied thofe Sciences his 
inclination led him to, and therefore in 1746 gave 
him a royal ftipend. In 1747’ g av ® ^e 
proof of the proficiency he had made in his ftudies, 
in his Differtation on the Virtues of Plants, which 
he wrote well, and defended ftrenuoufiy. In one 
of my botanical lettures in the fame year, I enu- 
merated the countries of which we knew the Na- 
tural Hiftory, and thofe of which we are ignorant. 
Amongft the latter was Paleftine •, with this we 
were lefs acquainted than with the remoteft parts 
of India; and though the Natural Hiftory of this 
remarkable country was the moft neceffary for Di- 
vines, and Writers on the Scriptures, who have ufed 
their greateft endeavours to know the animals 
therein mentioned, yet they could not, with any 
deo-ree of certainty, determine which they were, 
before fome one' had been there, and informed 
himfelf of the Natural Hiftory of the place. 
This is the more furprizing, as Botany is much 
indebted to feveral induftrious Divines, who 
have ftriftly examined the plants of other coun- 
tries ; but though many of the Romifti clergy 
travel to Paleftine every year, not one has ever 
troubled himfelf upon this fubjeft. Haffelquift 
was very defirous of being the firft who lhould in- 
form the Public of the Natural Hiftory of Pa- 
leftine, and was determined to accompliffi it. 
Tie imparted his defign to me foon after, but, 
furprized at his enterprifing fpirit, I reprefented 
to him the length of the way, the great diffi- 
culties, the many dangers, and the very confi- 
derable expences which would attend fuch an un- 
dertaking, and laftly, his indifferent ftate of health, 
in particular his weak lungs, as he was fob- 
