“ Nut, Fructus orbicularis sulcis nervisque distinctus” * of Caspar Bauhin. All 
these are American vegetables, -p and three of them were known by Sir Hans 
Sloane to be natives of Jamaica. These, and several other kinds of seeds, 
which are likewise found abundantly upon the coast of Norway, were thought 
by him to have been brought by currents, though the Gulf of Florida, 
into the North American ocean. Dr. Tonning has mentioned several other 
seeds which are actually thrown upon the coasts of Norway ; such as those 
of Cashew Nut (Anacardium Occidentale), Bottle Gourd (Cucurbita 
Lag ex aim a), Dog-wood tree (Piscidia Erythrina), and Cocoa nut (Co¬ 
cos Butyracea). These are often in so recent a state, that they would 
unquestionably vegetate, were the climate favourable to their growth and 
existence. And, doubtless, they are frequently carried to countries in which 
they do vegetate as well as in the countries where they were originally 
placed by the hand of the Creator. 
The philosopher, Francis Leguat, and his unfortunate companions, 
who, in the year 1690, were the first inhabitants of the small island of 
Rodriguez, which lies a hundred leagues to the east of the Isle of Fra?ice, 
found no Cocoa trees in it. But, during the period of their short residence 
there, the sea threw upon the coast several Cocoa, Nuts in a state of germi¬ 
nation, as if it had been the intention of Providence to induce them, by this 
useful and seasonable present, to remain on that island, and to cultivate it. 
Francis Leguat, who was unacquainted with the relations which seeds 
have to the element in which they are designed to grow, was very much 
astonished to find that those fruits, which weighed from five to six pounds, 
must have performed a voyage of sixty or fourscore leagues, without being 
corrupted. He took it for granted, and he was in the right, that they came 
from the island of St. Brande, which is situated to the north-east of Rodri¬ 
guez. These two desert islands had not, as yet, since the creation of the 
world, communicated to each other all their vegetable productions, though 
situated in a current of the ocean, which, in the course of the year, sets six 
months towards the one, and six months towards the other. However this 
may be, he and his companions planted these Cocoa Nuts, which, in the 
space of a year and a half, sent forth shoots four feet in height. 
IV. Birds and animals are no mean agents in the dissemination of 
* Strychnos Colubrina of Linnaeus. 
j- They are likewise natives of the East Indies*, 
