REMINISCENCES OF A VOYAGE TO AND FROM CHINA. 63 
a demand for drawings of flowers whicli could be purchased in every 
stationer’s shop in Canton. Collections of these were received by the 
East India Company about 1780,, and among them appeared the tree 
pceony, nelumbium speciosa , double camellias, magnolias, azaleas, &c. 
These drawings only served to redouble exertions to obtain living 
plants : as it was found even when really valuable seeds were pro¬ 
cured in China, they perished ere they arrived in England. 
His Majesty George III., Margaret, Duchess of Portland, lords 
Coventry and Tankerville, Sir Joseph Banks, and many others, en- 
couragers of botany, and lovers of plants, w 7 ere constantly using their 
influence with the officers in the East India Company’s service to 
introduce both seeds and living plants from China. But no private 
individual took more interest, or exerted himself more strenuously in 
the matter, than the late Gilbert Slater, Esq., of Low Layton in Essex. 
This gentleman was extensively connected with the East India Com¬ 
pany, being managing owner of several of their ships ; and of course 
was in constant communication with the supercargoes at Canton, while 
he possessed the greatest influence with the commanders of his own 
ships. 
Mr. Slater wrote and published a small tract of directions for 
collectors, with figures of the boxes, and manner of packing the plants 
for the voyage home. These he distributed among his officers and 
friends of the trade, and used every means in his power to accomplish 
an object, which as an amusement was a principal pursuit of his 
comparatively short life. 
His country-seat at Low Layton (now we believe Mr. Barclay’s) 
had extensive gardens, where every description of garden building for 
the preservation of exotic plants was erected, and where forcing was 
carried on in all its branches. The houses contained a fine collection 
of stove, greenhouse, and conservatory plants; the moor-earth borders 
were filled with the largest specimens of American plants that could 
be purchased: and floriculture was conducted on a most extensive 
scale. Every new imported plant soon found its way to Mr. Slater’s 
collection, and it was moreover enriched by several Chinese and East 
Indian plants of his own introduction, as the Hydrangea hortensis, 
Eriobotrya Japonica, Euphoria Litchi and Longana, Volkameria 
coccinea, Rosa semperjlorens, &c , &c. It may be here mentioned that 
Mr. Slater always divided whatever he had of value with Sir Joseph 
Banks for the Kew collection, as a safer means of preserving what 
might be received, 
Every year large boxes of Chinese plants were received at Low 
Layton, not a tithe of which were found alive, and such as survived 
