public establishment, under the care of skilful gardeners, one of whom circumnavigated the globe with captain BLIGH. I might therefore have considerably enlarged the Hortus Eastensis annexed to this work, but the particulars did not come to my hands in time. However, that the lovers of natural history may not be wholly disappointed, I shall subjoin to this preface a catalogue of the more rare and valuable exotics which now flourish in Jamaica. The present improved state of bottany in that island will thus be seen at one view.

In contemplating this display of industry and science, and offering the tribute of grateful veneration to that SOVEREIGN under whose royal patronage and bounty so many valuable productions have been conveyed in a growing state from one extremity of the world to the other, it is impossible that the inhabitants of the British West Indies can forget how much also is due to Sir JOSEPH BANKS, the president of the Royal Society; by whose warm and unwearied exertions the second voyage to the South Seas was determined on, after the first had proved abortive. Among all the labours of life, if there is one pursuit more replete than any other with benevolence, more likely to add comforts to existing people, and even to augment their numbers by augmenting their means of subsistence, it is certainly that of spreading abroad the bounties of creation, by transplanting from one part of the globe to another such natural productions as are likely to prove beneficial to the interests of humanity. In this generous effort, Sir JOSEPH BANKS has employed a considerable part of his time, attention, and fortune; and the success which in many cases, has crowned his endeavours, will be felt in the enjoyments, and rewarded by the blessings of posterity.

On the whole, the introduction of the bread fruit and other plants from the South Sea islands-the munificence displayed by HIS MAJESTY in causing the voyage to be undertaken by which it was finally accomplished-the liberality and judgment of those who advised it—and the care and attention

manifested by those who were more immediately intrusted with the conduct of it, are circumstances that claim a distinguished place, and constitute an important cra, in the History of the British West Indies.

Having said thus much in honour of my countrymen, it is but justice to observe, that the French nation (whilst a government existed among them) began to manifest a noble spirit of emulation in the same liberal pursuit. It is to the industry of the French that Jamaica (as will be seen in the History of that island) owes the cinnamon, the mango, and some other delicious spices and fruits. Among other branches of the vegetable kingdom introduced by them into their West Indian possessions, they reckoned three different species of the sugar cane, all of which were previously unknown to the planters and inhabitants. I have, in the second volume of this edition, observed, that Sir JOSEPH BANKS had satisfied me that such varieties did exist; but I was not then apprized that their cultivation had been successfully attempted in any of our own islands. By the kindness of Admiral Sir JOHN LAFOREY, baronet, I am now enabled to gratify my readers with such full and authentic information on this subject, as cannot fail to be highly acceptable to every inhabitant of the West Indies.

These canes were originally introduced into Martinico; and it was a fortunate circumstance that the distinguished officer whom I have named commanded about that time on the naval station at Antigua. It was equally fortunate that, with a love of natural knowledge, he possessed plantations in the island last mentioned; for it is extremely probable, from the disturbances and distractions which have prevailed ever since in every one of the French colonies, that there would not at this time have been found a trace of these plants in any part of the West Indies, if Sir JOHN LAFOREY had not personally attended to their preservation. With the account which his politeness has enabled me to present to the public, I shall conclude this Introductory Discourse.

Remarks on the EAST INDIA and other CANES imported into the French Charaibean islands, and lately introduced into the island of Antigua, by Sir JOHN LAFOREY, Bart.

"One sort was brought from the island of Bourbon, reported by the French to be the growth of the coast of Malabar.

"Another sort from the island of Otaheite.

"Another sort from Batavia.

"The two former are much alike, both in their appearance and growth, but that of Otaheite is said to make the finest sugar. They are much larger than those of our islands, the joints of some measuring eight or nine inches long, and six in circumference.

"Their colour, and that of their leaves also, differs from ours, being of a pale green; their leaves broader, their points falling towards the ground as they grow out, instead of being erect like those of our islands. Their juice also, when expressed, differs from that of our canes; being of a very pale, instead of a deep green colour. I caused one of the largest of these canes to be cut, at what I deemed its full growth, and likewise one of the largest of the island canes that could be found upon each of three other plantations. When they were properly trimmed for grinding, I had them weighed: the Malabar canes weighed upwards of seven pounds; neither of the other three exceeded four pounds and a quarter.

They are ripe enough to grind at the age of ten months; a few cut for a trial by my manager, above twelve months old, were judged to have lost part of their juices, by standing too long.

They appear to stand the dry weather better than ours; I observed, that after a drought of a long continuance, when the leaves of our own canes began to turn brown at their points, these continued their colour throughout.

"A gentleman of Montserat had some plants given to him by Monsieur Pinnel, one of the most considerable planters of Guadaloupe, who told him he had, in the preceding year, 1792, in which an exceeding great drought had prevailed, planted, amongst a large field of the island-canes, half an acre of these; that the want of rain, and the borer, had damaged the former so much, that he could not make sugar from them, but the latter had produced him three hogsheads.

"In the spring of this year, 1794, a trial was made of the Malabar canes on one of my plantations; 160 bunches from holes of five feet square were cut, they produced upwards of 350 lbs. of very good sugar; the juice came into sugar in the teache in much less time than is usually required for that of the other canes, and threw up very little scum. The produce was in the proportion of 3,500 lbs. to an acre; the weather had then been so very dry, and the borer so destructive, that I am sure no one part of that plantation would have yielded above half that quantity from the other canes, in the same space of ground. We had not then the benefit of the new invented clarifiers, which, though imported, had not been fixed up for want of time.

"The French complain that these canes do not yield a sufficient quantity of field trash, to boil the juice into sugar; to this, and to their never throwing up an arrow, I think their superior size may in good measure be attributed. This inconvenience may be obviated, by the substitution of coals; and the increased quantity of the cane trash, which their magnitude will furnish, (and which we reckon the richest manure we have, when properly prepared), will well indemnify the expense of firing.

"The Batavia canes are a deep purple on the outside; they grow short jointed, and small in circumference, but bunch exceedingly, and vegetate so quick, that they spring up from the plant in one-third the time those of our island do; the joints, soon after they form, all burst longitudinally. They have the appearance of being very hardy, and bear dry weather well; Vol. I.

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a few bunches were cut and made into sugar at the same time the experiment was made with the white canes. The report made to me of them was, that they yielded a great deal of juice, which seemed richer than that of the others, but the sugar was strongly tinged with the colour of the rind; and it was observed, that upon the expression of them at the mill, the juice was of a bright purple; but by the time it had reached through the spout to the clarifier (a very short distance) it became of a dingy iron colour. I am told the Batavia sugar imported into Amsterdam is very fair; so that if those canes should otherwise answer well, means may doubtless be obtained to discharge the purple tinge from their juice."

LONDON, 1794.