CHAP. II-

BRITISH ISLANDS.

85

dea of Charlestown, John Bartram, Mark Catesby, and othercollectors, The progress of introduction was interrupted duringthe eighth decade of the century (1771 to 1780), owing to thebreaking out of the American vvar; but it revived with doublevigour between 1780 and 1800, during which period by far thegreater number of trees and shrubs introduced were received byConrad Loddiges, and chiefly from William Bartram, the son ofJohn. The Bartrams, indeed, and Andre Michaux, were theorreat collectors of American plants during the 18th century.Michaux sent almost every thing to France, by the governmentof which he was sent out; but the Bartrams were Americans,and corresponded chiefly with the Kew Botanic Garden, andwith the London nurserymen and amateurs. A number of treesand shrubs were introduced during the 18th century by Mr.Fraser, but we have been able to obtain very few particularsrespecting him, farther than tliat one of the same family is now(1835) a respectable nurseryman at Ramsgate.

Jolm Bartram, one of the most distinguished of Americanbotanists, was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1701.His grandfather, of the same name, accompanied William Pennto this country in 1682. John Bartram was a simple farmer;he cultivated the ground for subsistence, while he indulged aninsatiable desire for botany. He was self-taught in that Science,and in the rudiments of the learned languages, and medicineand surgery. So great, in the end, was his proficiency in hisfavourite pursuit, that Linnaeus pronounced him “ the greatestnatural botanist in the world.” He made excursions, in the in-tervals of agricultural labour, to Florida and Canada, herborisingwith intense zeal and delight. At the age of 70, he performed ajourney to East Florida, to explore its natural productions; ata period, too, when the toils and dangers of such an expeditionfar exceeded those of any similar one which could be undertakenat the present time, within the limits of the United States. Hefirst fonned a botanic garden in America, for the cultivation ofAmerican plants as well as exotics. This garden, which issituated on the banks of the Schuylkill, a few miles from Phila-delphia, stili bears his name. He contributed much to thegardens of Europe, and corresponded with the most distinguishednaturalists of that quarter of the globe. Several foreign societiesand academies bestowed their honours upon him, and publishedCommunications from him in their Transactions. John Bartramdied in 1777, in the 76th year of his age. At the time of hisdeath he held the office of American botanist to George III. ofEngland. He was amiable and charitable, and of the strictestprobity and temperance. (Encyc. Amer.)

William Bartram, fourth son of John Bartram, was born inU39, at the Botanic Garden, Kingsessing, Pennsylvania. At the