Am,juiyr.-i9oh5?rm'}  Dr.  Christopher  Witt.  317 
John  Bartram,  where  the  latter  is  not  infrequently  chided  for  not 
sending  as  interesting  or  as  novel  shipments  as  Dr.  Witt.  As  a 
direct  outcome  of  this  correspondence,  John  Bartram  was  induced 
to  cultivate  the  acquaintance  of  Dr.  Witt,  and  the  two  botanists  are 
known  to  have  exchanged  visits  quite  frequently.  The  account  of 
one  of  these  visits,  made  by  Bartram  to  Germantown,  contains  so 
much  to  illustrate  the  varied  interests  of  Doctor  Witt  than  it  may 
well  be  reproduced  verbatim  in  this  connection. 
"June  it,  1743. 
Friend  Peter: — I  have  lately  been  to  visit  our  friend  Doctor 
Witt,  where  I  spent  four  or  five  hours  very  agreeably — sometimes 
in  his  garden  where  I  viewed  every  kind  of  plant  that  I  believe  that 
grew  therein,  which  afforded  me  a  convenient  opportunity  of  asking 
him  whether  he  ever  observed  any  kind  of  wild  rose  that  was  double. 
He  said  he  could  not  remember  that  ever  he  did.  So,  being  satisfied 
with  this  amusement,  we  went  into  his  study  which  was  furnished 
with  books  containing  different  kinds  of  learning — as  philosophy, 
natural  magic,  divinity,  nay,  even  mystic  divinity — all  of  which  were 
the  subject  of  our  discourse  within  doors,  which  alternately  gave 
way  to  botany  every  time  we  walked  in  the  garden.  I  could  have 
wished  thee  the  enjoyment  of  so  much  diversion  as  to  have  heard 
our  discourse,  provided  thee  had  been  well  swathed  from  hips  to 
armpits.  But  it  happened  a  little  of  our  spiritual  discourse  was 
interrupted  by  a  material  object  within  doors,  for  the  Doctor  had 
lately  purchased  of  a  great  traveller  in  Spain  and  Italy  a  sample  of 
what  was  imposed  upon  him  for  snake  stones.  Besides  laughing  at 
him  it  took  me  a  little  time  to  convince  the  Doctor  that  they  were 
nothing  but  calcined  old  horse  bones. 
"  Indeed,  to  give  the  Doctor  his  due,  he  is  very  pleasant,  facetious 
and  plaint,  and  will  exchange  as  many  freedoms  as  most  men  of  his 
years,  with  those  he  respects.  His  understanding  and  judgment 
thee  art  not  unacquainted  with,  having  had  so  long  and  frequent 
intercourse  with  him  by  letters. 
"  When  we  are  upon  the  topic  of  astrology,  magic  and  mystic 
divinity  I  am  apt  to  be  a  little  troublesome,  by  inquiring  into  the 
foundation  and  reasonableness  of  these  notions  which  thee,  knows 
will  not  bear  to  be  searched  and  examined  into  ;  though  I  handle 
these  fancies  with  more  tenderness  with  him  than  I  should  with 
