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No fooner was the fociety instituted than they caft their eyes on Dr Anderfon of Madras, as a perfon on whofe good offices they could depend, in forwarding any plan that promifed to render the lot of any part of the human race more agreeable than it had been. The prefident accordingly wrote to him, acquainting him with the nature of the inftitution, and requesting his aid in procuring for them feeds or plants of any vegetable production, that he judged proper for their ifland. The following is the anfwer Dr. Anderfon returned to this letter; with a copy of which, the Editor of this work has been lately favoured. The information it contains may be of use to the inhabitants of other warm regions, and therefore it deferves to be made public, that the example may help to ftimulate others to purfue a fimilar plan of conduct.

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To Robert Brooks, Efq. Governor, and the rest of the Governors and Members of the St. Helena Plan"ters Society.

GENTLEMEN,

I have been favoured with your letter and plan, which must afford general fatisfaction, from the very laudable objects of its views.

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95 There can be no doubt but the whole may be execu ted, from the variety that appears in the temperature of your atmosphere.

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"At prefent, however, I fhall confine myfelf to the three objects that seem of the first importance, viz. the fupply of roots, grain, and herbage for food, wood for fuel, timber and shelter for the yam vine, cotton, and indigo, as fome employment for perfons that might otherwife remain idle.

The yam I have seen in your island being the Arum Efculentum requires a marshy foil; and the lofty fituation of the arable land in St. Helena will never admit of much land being laid out in this manner; whereas the yam Diofcoria Alata of Linnæus, is more wholesome and pleasant for food, and, in light garden mold, the dews from heaven will almoft prove fufficient watering for its nourishment.

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"The convolvolus Batatas may be planted with the plough, and affords a good kind of food.

"In cafe you establish Tanks, I would recommend, as foon their waters fink three or four feet, little holes may be od* gulub 4ks bas .grinan 200 Bb 2

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lug near the water's edge, and filled with garden mould, into each of which two or three feeds of the Nymphæa (Egyptian bean) fhould be planted and gently watered till they vegetate; after which they can live at a confiderable depth, and will cover the water with their leaves and a molt beautiful flower. The feeds afford a good pulfe, and the root a wholefome yam, that are eat by the natives of Southern Afia.

"Ifend by captain Gregory, a box filled with the yam, Diofcoria Alata. The Convolvolus Batatas fhall be fent, when they have taken root here, in tubs of earth, as it is! propagated by cuttings of the ftalk; and in cafe you are not already in poffeffion of thefe two roots, I take this opportunity to affure you, they will prove a great means of maintaining the inhabitants, if the planters betwixt the upper part of Lemon Valley and the governor's garden will pay attention to their culture.

Amongst the feeds in a box which I have likewife committed to captain Gregory's care, I muft diftinguish a finall parcel of the Phafeolus Bengalenfis, on account of the prolific nature of this Phafeolus, and valuable bean it affords for Food. The Cynofurus, Corocanus, Panicum, Milium, and Zizania, will afford food for the poultry, and fodder for the cattle.

"The tree feeds I have put up in this box'are chiefly with a view to establish fufficient fire-wood, and to ferve as a helter, and to fupport the vine of the yam and the sweet potatoe, although fome are fit for other purpofes, as you will fee by the remarks detached to the inclosed lift of them.

"In low latitudes, we frequently find islands of confiderable height, covered with wood to their fummits; but the height and expofure of St Helena may be fome bar to this.

I have no doubt, however, that by degrees your fociety will establish shelter of trees on the summit of the island, to protect more tender plants from bleak winds.

That no affillance may be wanting which this country affords, I have directed your plan to be published in our

Courier.

In return for your attention, I can only inclofe accounts of an attempt in agitation for the culture of genuine cochireal in the honourable Company's poffeffions, in the promcwing which, the fociety, by its central fituation, may becon e very inftrumental. I am, &c. JAMES ANDERSON.

Fort George 4th Feb. 1789.

Lift of Seeds for the St. Helena Planters Society, alluded to in the foregoing Letter,..

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Nymphaea,The Egyptian bean, or great water lily.
Phafeolus Bengalenfis,--Kidney bean.

Cynofurus Corocanus, Panicum, Milium, and Zizania,Grafs feeds.

*** Tectiono,-The timber is elaftic, ftrong, and durable, refifts the worm, and is fuperior to any other timber for fhipbuilding, and beams for houses.

Bq Erithrina Corellodendron, is fo light, that rafts are made Toftit, as well as many kinds of toys.

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Mimofa odoratiffima, fit timber for carriages of burden, fuch as carts, &c.

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Thefpifia Populnia,—Light, smooth grained timber, and frong enough for wheel carriages.

"Cafalpina Sappan.-Logwood for dying.

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Mimofa Nilotica, yields gum-arabic, and bark for tan ning leather. The feed pods equal galls for ink.

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Mimofa Cinerea, the infpiffated juice of this tree is called terra Japonica.

Mimofa Madrafpratenfis.Hedge mimofa.

64- Robinia Mitis.

"Robinia Grandiflora,Its leaves are boiled and eaten as greens.

Annona Squamofa, cuftard apple.

Cachu nut.

Tamarindus, the Tamarind tree, of which the leaves and fruit are a pleasant acid. This tree grows wild here among feep rocks.

"Goffy-pium, Cotton of the finest grain.

"Indigofera, Indigo. The large feed from Surat; the fmaller, the best fort of indigo made here.

Moringha, Indian horfe radish.

"All the feeds are fresh gathered: Some of them are mixed with powdered tobacco; and the bags in which they are contained dipped in a folution of corrofive fublimated mercury, to prevent infects destroying them."

What benefits would refult to fociety, if men of letters would in general turn their attention towards useful pursuits! How much might the lot of mankind be meliorated in a few centuries by such purfuits Europe, Aba, Africa, and Ame

rica, would thus each contribute its share to the general improvement. And every country on the globe would be bet tered for it. The mention of one plant alone, introduced into Europe from America, the potatoe, is enough to awaken the attention of every perfon, whofe foul can feel the expanfive glow of beneficent affections, and make them look up with gratitude to those, who, by attentions of this fort, have proved the best friends of mankind.

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A Curfory VIEW of the prefent POLITICAL STATE of EUROPE, continued from page 120.

Spain.

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SPAIN, though greatly weakened by the unwieldy extent of her foreign poffeffions, which have ruined her own domeftic industry, and reduced her to a state of debafement The never could have otherwife experienced, feems to be not yet aware of the evils that have refulted to her from this caufe. She cannot make ufe, with advantage to herself, of even the hundredth part of thofe territories, that all the world admit belong to her; yet the greedily grafps at more. They are in terror every moment, of hearing that their beft fettled provinces have thrown off the yoke, and afferted their independence; yet fhe is eager to affert her right to fettlements, which he has it not in her power to occupy; and which, if the could occupy, would be productive of nothing but additional embarrailments. thefe refpects, Spain is only on a footing with other powers; who in general purfue with as inconfiderate warmth," projects alike delufive and deftructive. The conteft for power, which has just been ended between Britain and Spain, if no other object was concealed under it than what was avowed, was one of the most inconfiderate that has been entered into in modern times; nor can the evils originating from that be palliated by the equivocal nature of that

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convention which has been patched up between them.An equivocal treaty will always be deemed highly prejudicial to all the powers that are concerned in it, by every politician of found fenfe, however much it may be relished at times, by thofe of another denomination.

The Count de Florida Blanca, who has had the principal direction of affairs in Spain for fome time paft, feems to be feriously difpofed to augment the internal profperity of that fine country, as much as is in his power-but he has many difficulties to overcome, that must retard his progrefs. He has the prejudices of the people, and the prejudices of the minifter himself to get over, before he can make those rapid advances he wishes.-Time,-much time must be required, before these can be effectually got over. This æra, he never can hope to fee. In the mean while, he does the beft he can. The operations of war he diflikes, as only tending to derange the private economy of the ftate. His attention feems to be directed to the exciting a spirit of induftry among the people,-by directing their attention to agriculture, manufactures, and commerce.-Under his aufpices, navigable canals have been formed, for facilitating internal commerce: Roads have been projected, and in part made, under his infpection; bridges built; focieties inftituted in every part of the kingdom for encouraging agriculture and ufeful arts, and every thing elfe that can be expected from a man in an exalted station of life, who never can be supposed to know the best means of alleviating the diftrefs of the poor, or of removing thofe apparently small, but irresistible obftructions, that stand in their way to retard their feeble progrefs. May fuccefs attend his endeavours, and may thofe that fhall fucceed him, be able to profit by. the experiments he will have made, and the experience he fhall have obtained!

Spain is much lefs known in Europe than it deferves to be and though far behind fome other nations in ufeful arts, is ftill lefs backward than has been in general fuppofed. The bigotry, for which the was fo remarkable in the days of Philip the fecond, is now much relaxed. And among other benefits, conferred upon the people by Count Florida Blau-. ca, must be reckoned, the check he has given to the power of the clergy, not by directly curtailing their eftablished prejudices by force, but by introducing a mode of reafoning and

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