the greatest number of regular figures, which the imagination can conceive. The lines are more or less near or remote, according to the folidity or foftnefs of the wood. The lines, which form the texture of fir-trees, are diftant; but those of oak are clofe and compact.-And this difference of texture may serve to account for their greater or lefs folidity, and the difference of time requifite for them to arrive at maturity ".

The different vegetable productions are no lefs numerous than ufeful. The purposes, to which the trees of Britain are applied, are well known, from the flexible willow, which forms the bafket, to the hardy oak, which compofes the moft fubftantial parts of a fhip of war, guards the British iflands from foreign invafion, and difplays to the moft remote countries the greatnefs of our maritime power. All poffefs different qualities, adapted to their different purposes. The meaneft, and in appearance the most unpleasant, have their ufe; even the thistle is not only the food of fome animals, but is ferviceable in making glafs. There is fcarcely a plant which although rejected as food

It is with no fmall degree of fatisfaction, I acknowledge, that this part of my work has received feveral valuable illuftrations from a lady, whom I am happy to call my relation. If her proficiency in Botany and other branches of natural hiftory, as well as the excellence of her understanding, and the goodness of her heart, were as generally known beyond the circle of her friends, as they deserve to be, it would be fuperfluous for me to add the name of Mrs. Browne of Norwich.

by

by fome animals is not eagerly fought by others. The horfe yields the common water hemlock to the goat, and the cow the long-leafed water hemlock to the fheep. The goat again leaves the aconite, or bane-berries to the horfe. The euphorbia or fpurge fo noxious to man is greedily devoured by fome of the infect tribes. The aloe is a magazine of provifious and of implements to the Indians, who inhabit the banks of the Ohio and the Miffifippi. Some plants, as rhubarb and opium, alleviate the tortures of pain; and fome, as the quinquina, or Peruvian bark, can fubdue the rage of the burning fever. Wheat, the delicious and prolific grain, which gives to the nothern inhabitants of the world their wholefome nutriment, grows in almost every climate. Where exceffive heat or other caufes prevent it from coming to perfection, its place is amply fupplied by the bread-fruit, the caffavi-root and maize, and more particularly by rice, which is the common aliment of that great portion of mankind, who inhabit the warm regions of the earth. Every meadow in the vernal feafon brings forth various kinds of grafs; and this fpontaneous and most abundant of all vegetable productions requires only the labour of the husbandman to collect its harveft. The iron-wood, folid as marble, furnishes the Otaheitan with his long fpear and maffy club. The wild pine of Campeachy retains the rain-water in its deep and capacious leaves, not lefs for the refreshment of the tree itself, than of the thirsty native of a burning foil. The cocoa of the Eaft and Weft Indies anfwers

many of the most useful purposes of life to the natives of a warm climate. Its bark is manufactured into cordage and cloathing, and its fhell into useful veffels; its kernel affords a pleafant and nutritive food, and its milk a cooling beverage: its leaves are used for covering houses, and are worked into baskets; and its boughs are of service to make props and rafters. The rein deer of the Laplander, fo effential to his support and fubfiftence, could not furvive through the tedious winter, without the lichen rangiferinus, which he digs from beneath the fnow. "On the bleak mountains of the North, the pine, the fir, the cedar, and many of the refinous trees grow, which fhelter man from the fnows by the clofeness of their foliage, and furnish him in winter with torches and fuel for his fire-fide. The leaves of thofe evergreen trees are filiform, and thus are adapted to reverberating the heat, and refifting the violent winds which beat on elevated fituations." AH these productions, and the various trees which produce cork and emit rofin, turpentine, pitch, gums, and balfam, either fupply fome conftant neceffity, obviate fome inconvenience, or contribute to fome ufe or gratification of the natives of the foils where they grow, or of the inhabitants of diftant climates.

Among vegetable productions, we cannot fail to notice the tribes of moffes, of fuch variety in their

St. Pierre, Study xi.

forms,

forms, that they fcarcely yield to plants in number; and although extremely minute, yet of fuch an admirable ftructure, that they excel the ftately palms of India, or the sturdy oaks of England. Thefe moffes are dried up in fummer, but in winter they revive, and affume a peculiar verdure; and as the feafon advances, they protect the roots of plants from cold, from the chilling blafts of fpring, and the fcorching heat of the fummer fun.

The munificence of our monarchs has concurred with the liberality of private individuals, to indulge the lovers of Botany with repofitories of the vegetable produce of different climes. The fpices of India, the plants of Siberia and Africa, and the hardy flowers of the Alps, have been brought into this country, to increase collections remarkable for variety, and accuracy of arrangement: Exotic plants, collected from every part of the globe, give the highest reputation to the botanical gardens of Oxford, Cambridge, Kew, and Chelfea.

Of the ardour with which the purfuit of Botany is capable of infpiring its votaries there have been many eminent inftances. The reformation of the fyftem by Linnæus was a strong incitement to his pupils to explore the moft diftant countries. Tornftroem travelled into Afia, and Haffelquist into Egypt and Palestine, where he fell a facrifice to a lingering diforder. The fruits of his labours were not however loft to the world, as his botanical collections enrich the royal cabinet of Stockholm.

Ofbeck

Ofbeck explored China and Java, Loefling went into Spain, and afterwards to South America, where he died. Linnæus himfelf traversed Sweden and Lapland, where he braved the horrors of deferts and precipices, and fuffered extreme hunger, thirst, and cold. In fuch researches the diligence of Englishmen has likewife been confpicuous; as Sir Jofeph Banks performed a voyage round the globe with Captain Cooke, and brought home many vegetable treasures of the Southern Islands. The diligence of Dr. Sibthorpe, jun. late profeffor of Botany in Oxford, deferves to be well known. He encouraged, by his teftamentary munificence, that pursuit to which he facrificed his health, and finally his life, by two excurfions into the Eaft; and his Flora Græca will no doubt be a valuable monument of his fcientific skill, and laborious refearches.

Uncertain as our climate is, and fubject to the greatest changes of weather, we may ftill find in England fufficient fcope to gratify our tafte by an extenfive furvey of the vegetable beauties of the creation. Exclufive of the well-known gardens of Windfor, Richmond, Kew, and Nuneham, there is fcarcely a feat of any private gentleman, which does not prefent the profpect of flowers diftinguished by the richeft colours, and moft fragrant perfume. Every clime fupplies likewife its tribu

tary

The cheerful effect produced by the fight of flowers, and the ornaments they afford to the arts, are thus elegantly described