THE
PREFACE.
It is now Eighteen Years since I went Physician to the Duke of Albemarle to Jamaica. I had from my Youth been very much pleas'd with the Study of Plants, and other Parts of Nature, and had seen most of those Kinds of Curiosities, which were to be found either in the Fields, or in the Gardens or Cabinets of the Curious in these Parts. The Accounts of these strange Things, with which I met with in Collections, and, was inform'd, were common in the West-Indies, were not so Satisfactory as I desired. I was Young, and could not be so easy, if I had not the pleasure to see what I had heard so much of, especially since it has been a great contentment to me, to see many things cultivated in English Gardens which I had seen grow wild in other countries, whereof I conceived my self afterwards to be better appris'd, than I was of such as I had not seen common in the Fields, and in plenty. I thought by that means the Ideas of them would be better imprinted in my Mind, and that, upon occasion, both the knowledge of them and their Uses might be afterwards more familiar to me. These Inclinations remain'd with me some time after I had settled my self to practise Physic in London, and had had the Honour to be admitted a Fellow of the College of Physicians, as well as of the Royal Society. These unmerited Favours did not at all alter my mind, but rather incited me to do what I could to be no useless Member, but to cast in my Mite towards the Advancement of Natural Knowledge, and the Faculty of Physic, and by that means endeavour to deserve a Place amoungst so many Great and Worthy Persons: This Voyage seem'd likewise to promise to be useful to me, as a Physician; many of the Antient and best Physicians having travell'd to the Places whence their Drugs were brought, to inform themselves concerning them.
His Grace the Duke of Albemarle having obtain'd the supreme Command of the Island of Jamaica, and other Parts of English-America
