53 
MEMOIR OF 
during his West Indian voyage were the nucleus. 
The earliest notice of it occurs in Evelyn’s Diary, 
who, under the date of April 16, 1691, mentions, 
« I went to see Dr Sloane’s curiosities, being 
a universal collection of the natural productions 
of Jamaica, consisting of plants, fruits, corals, 
minerals, stones, earth, shells, animals, insects, 
&e. selected with great judgment ; several folios 
of dried plants, and one which had about eighty 
several sorts of ferns, and another of grapes ; the 
Jamaica pepper, in branch, leaves, flower, fruit, 
&c. This collection, with his journal and other 
philosophical discourses and observations, is indeed 
very copious and extraordinary, sufficient to furnish 
a history of that island, to which I encouraged him.” 
It received its first, and perhaps principal increase, 
however, in 1702, upon the death of his friend 
Mr Courten, who, we have seen, bequeathed his 
extensive and valuable museum to Sir Hans, upon 
condition of his paying certain legacies specified 
in his last will. What was the precise state or 
value of this accession, we have no means of 
knowing,# as there exists no separate catalogue of 
its contents. The Biographical Dictionary, 
indeed, informs us, that there are MS. catalogues 
which, “ swelled with short histories and accounts 
of their contents, amount in all to thirty-eight 
* We have seen it estimated at £ 8000, both by Evelyn 
and Thoresby. See p. 4, 5. 
