The PREFACE.
Another Advantage, the Knowlege of what is produced there naturally brings, is a Consideration of the Causes of some very strange, but certain, Matters of Fact. It has puzzl'd the Philosophers of all Ages, to give an Account how Parts of Vegetables and Animals, Real Sea-Shells and Substances should be found remote from the Seas, wherein they seem to have been produced and bred. This Phænomenon will appear stranger, when it is made out, that many of the Substances, as for instance, Corals, Echini marini, the Palats and Tongues of Fishes hereafter described, and which now live and breed in the Seas, adjoining to Jamaica, and no nearer than some few Degrees on this side, are found in as great plenty in the Inland Parts of England imbedded in the Earth, Clay, Sand, Chalk, or Stone, as if it had once been the natural Place of their Production and Increase. This I was very much surprisd to find.
These matters of Fact being certainly laid down, may perhaps afford some Hints for the more clear Reasonings and Deductions of better Heads; And I know not but that the several Species of new Ferns, and Some Plants by me found there, and here describ'd and figur'd, may be discover'd upon some of the Stones or Slates called Werk, which lie in plenty in the Strata over the Cole-pits in many Places of England. These Plants and their Impressions are of several Kinds, and many of them are not to be reduced to the Ferns or Plants, found in England or the adjoining Countries. His Grace the Duke of Beaufort has done me the honour to give me some of these Slates he had in Glocestershire; Dr. Richardson from Yorkshire has communicated several of them to me; as has also Mr. Beaumont from Somersetshire.
Upon the first Discovery of the West-Indies, several People went thither on the Account of observing its Natural Productions. The first that I read of is one Codrus an Italian, who went from Spain for that purpose. The Discoveries he made were but few, or not communicated to the World: The only Account we have of him, is in Peter Martyr's Decads, wherein that Elegant Writer acquaints the Pope, what News they then had in Spain, from the West-Indies. Hernandez was sent by the King of Spain, to search after Natural Productions about Mexico; He design'd and describ'd many of the things he met with, at the Expence of 60000 Ducats; his Papers were put into the hands of NardusAntonius
