100 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
''by his means into this country; and also the bread-fruit,
"mangasteen, &c. into the West Indies.23 For each of these
"and many others, he had fixed a proper premium. In con-
"junction with the Earl of Tankerville, Dr. Pitcairn, and myself,
"he sent over a person24 to Africa, who is still employed upon the
"coast of that country, for the purpose of collecting plants and
"specimens.
"Those whose gratitude for restored health promoted them to
"do what was acceptable to their benefactor, were always in-
"formed by him that presents of rare plants chiefly attracted his
"attention, and would be more acceptable to him than the most
"generous fees. How many unhappy men, enervated by the
"effects of hot climates, where their connections had placed
"them, found health on their return home at that cheap purchase !
"What an infinite number of plants he obtained by these
"means, the large collection of drawings he left behind will amply
"testify; and that they were equalled by nothing but royal
"munificence, at this time largely bestowed upon the botanic
"gardens at Kew. In my opinion, no other garden in Europe,
"royal, or of a subject, had nearly so many scarce and valuable
"plants.
"That science might not suffer a loss, when a plant he had
"cultivated should die, he liberally paid the best artist the
"country afforded to draw the new ones as they came to per-
"fection; and so numerous were they at last, that he found it
"necessary to employ more artists than one,25 in order to keep
23 A description of the mangostan and the bread-fruit, by John Ellis, 1775, was written in
collaboration with Fothergill and printed partly at his expense. From a letter in the Ellis MSS.
at the Linnean Society it appears that Ellis had wished to dedicate the pamphlet to Fothergill,
who, however, suggested that the Earl of Sandwich would be more appropriate, but solely
because of his official position.
24 William Brass, who was later lost at sea. Fothergill, in conjunction with Pitcairn (who
had a garden at Islington) employed Archibald Menzies to collect plants in Scotland and in the
Alps; and he joined with Banks, Drury and Marmaduke Tunstall in sending Henry Smeatham to
investigate the natural history and products of Spain and the west coast of Africa. He had also
several correspondents and collectors in North America in addition to the Bartrams and Marshall.
25 Among the artists employed were G. D. Ehret: Simon Taylor, who drew plants at Kew
Garden for Lord Bute; John Miller (Johann Sebastien Muller); his son, John Frederick Miller;
and Ann Lee, daughter of James Lee, the well-known nurseryman of Hammersmith. The
paintings were mostly on vellum and his collection, said to number 2,000, was purchased after
his death by the Empress Catherine II. of Russia for £2,300; however, according to R. H. Fox,
a series of coloured drawings of fungi, believed to have been executed for Fothergill by James
Bolton, is still in the possession of the Fothergill family. According to Lettsom, Miller's Illustratio
systematis sexualis Linnaei, 1777, was chiefly from originals at Upton, and ''was actually dedicated
"to the Doctor; and afterwards, with no little difficulty in recalling the copies, cancelled at
"his express solicitation. Though he delighted to encourage ingenuity, he disliked to be told
of it." In 1768, at the request of the Russian Embassy, Fothergill had recommended bis friend
Dr. T. Dimsdale to go to St. Petersburg to inoculate the Empress Catherine and her son for the
small-pox.