Mr. John Bartram is an Englishman, who lives in the country about four miles [[113]]from Philadelphia. He has acquired a great knowledge of natural philosophy and history, and seems to be born with a peculiar genius for these sciences. In his youth he had no opportunity of going to school. But by his own diligence and indefatigable application he got, without instruction, so far in Latin, as to understand all Latin books, and even those which were filled with botanical terms. He has in several successive years made frequent excursions into different distant parts of North America, with an intention of gathering all sorts of plants which are scarce and little known. Those which he found he has planted in his own botanical garden, and likewise sent over their seeds or fresh roots to England. We owe to him the knowledge of many scarce plants, which he first found, and which were never known before. He has shewn great judgment, and an attention which lets nothing escape unnoticed. Yet with all these great qualities, he is to be blamed for his negligence; for he did not care to write down his numerous and useful observations. His friends at London once obliged him to send them a short account of one of his travels, and they were very ready, with a good intention, though not with sufficient judgment, to get this account printed. [[114]]But this book, did Mr. Bartram more harm than good; for as he is rather backward in writing down what he knows, this publication was found to contain but few new observations. It would not however be doing justice to Mr. Bartram’s merit, if it were to be judged of by this performance. He has not filled it with a thousandth part of the great knowledge, which he has acquired in natural philosophy and history, especially in regard to North America. I have often been at a loss to think of the sources, from whence he got many things which came to his knowledge. I likewise owe him many things, for he possessed that great quality of communicating every thing he knew. I shall therefore in the sequel, frequently mention this gentleman. For I should never forgive myself, if I were to omit the name of the first inventor, and claim that as my own invention, which I learnt from another person.
Many Muscle shells, or Mytili anatini, are to be met with on the north-west side of the town in the clay-pits, which were at present filled with water from a little brook in the neighbourhood. These muscles seem to have been washed into that place by the tide, when the water in the brook was high. For these clay-pits are not old, but were [[115]]lately made. Poor boys sometimes go out of town, wade in the water, and gather great quantities of these shells, which they sell very easily, they being reckoned a dainty.
The Virginian Azarole with a red fruit, or Linnæus’s Cratægus Crus galli, is a species of hawthorn, and they plant it in hedges, for want of that hawthorn, which is commonly used for this purpose in Europe. Its berries are red, and of the same size, shape, and taste with those of our hawthorn. Yet this tree does not seem to make a good hedge, for its leaves were already fallen, whilst other trees still preserved theirs. Its spines are very long and sharp; their length being two or three inches. These spines are applied to some inconsiderable use. Each berry contains two stones.
Mr. Bartram assured me, that the North American oak, cannot resist putrefaction for near such a space of time, as the European. For this reason, the boats (which carry all sorts of goods down from the upper parts of the country) upon the river Hudson, which is one of the greatest in these parts, are made of two kinds of wood. That part which must always be under water, is made of black oak; but [[116]]the upper part, which is now above and now under water, and is therefore more exposed to putrefaction, is made of red cedar or Juniperus Virginiana, which is reckoned the most hardy wood in the country. The bottom is made of black oak, because that wood is very tough. For the river being full of stones, and the boats frequently running against them, the black oak gives way, and therefore does not easily crack. But the cedar would not do for this purpose; because it is hard and brittle. The oak likewise is not so much attacked by putrefaction, when it is always kept under water.
In autumn, I could always get good pears here; but every body acknowledged, that this fruit would not succeed well in the country.
All my observations and remarks on the qualities of the Rattle-snake, are inserted in the Memoirs of the Swedish Academy of Sciences, for the year 1752, p. 316, and for the year 1753, p. 54, and thither I refer the reader.[17]
Bears are very numerous higher up in the country, and do much mischief. Mr. Bartram told me, that when a bear catches [[117]]a cow, kills her in the following manner: he bites a hole into the hide, and blows with all his power into it, till the animal swells excessively and dies; for the air expands greatly between the flesh and the hide.[18] An old Swede called Nils Gustave’s son, who was ninety-one years of age, said, that in his youth, the bears had been very frequent hereabouts, but that they had seldom attacked the cattle: that whenever a bear was killed, its flesh was prepared like pork, and that it had a very good taste. And the flesh of bears is still prepared like ham, on the river Morris. The environs of Philadelphia, and even the whole province of Pensylvania in general contain very few bears, they having been extirpated by degrees. In Virginia they kill them in several different ways. Their flesh is eaten by both rich and poor, since it is reckoned equal in goodness to pork. In [[118]]some parts of this province, where no hogs can be kept on account of the great numbers of bears, the people are used to catch and kill them, and to use them instead of hogs. The American bears however, are said to be less fierce and dangerous, than the European ones.
September the 26th. The broad plantain, or Plantago major, grows on the highroads, foot paths, meadows, and in gardens in great plenty. Mr. Bartram had found this plant in many places on his travels, but he did not know whether it was an original American plant, or whether the Europeans had brought it over. This doubt had its rise from the savages (who always had an extensive knowledge of the plants of the country) pretending that this plant never grew here before the arrival of the Europeans., They therefore give it a name which signifies, the Englishman’s foot, for they say that where a European had walked, there this plant grew in his foot steps.
The Chenopodium album, or Goosefoot with sinuated leaves, grows in plenty in the gardens. But it is more scarce near the houses, in the streets, on dunghills and corn-fields. This seems to shew, that it is not a native of America, but has been brought over amongst other seeds from Europe. In the [[119]]same manner it is thought that the Tansey (Tanacetum vulgare, Linn.) which grows here and there in the hedges, on the roads, and near houses, was produced from European seeds.
The common vervain, with blue flowers, or verbena officinalis, was shewn to me by Mr. Bartram, not far from his house in a little plain near Philadelphia. It was the only place where he had found it in America. And for this reason I suppose it was likewise sown here amongst other European seeds.