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[Page 4]
a sucesssful use of it among his Negroes, As an anodyne from floz upwards may be taken as a dose in a glass of water. Mr Tobin has sent some of the Bark to Mr Carlisle, & I have sent some to Dr. Wild of [Oxford?], who will I hope prosecute the further investigation of this interesting subject. I have been for some time past engaged in the compilation of a systematic Catalogue of Plants growing in the West Indies, with a view if possible of remedying the confusion which results from the multitude of English synonymes adopted throughout the island, & which I propose giving as fully as I am able to collect them; It is my intention likewise to communicate in notes whatever observations may suggest themselves with respect to particular plants, especially their medical or economical properties - I [indecipherable] however much difficulty in my projects, having no assistance but what one friend Mr Tobin is able to afford me. The Lemon Grass, with which you are of course acquainted is now in blossom- Mr Tobin come years since sent a specimen of this plant in flower to Mr. Lambert who valued it highly & esteemed it a great rarity, tho' Iearn from Mr. Mills, in whose garden it grows most luxuriantly, that it flowers regularly every year about this time. Neither Mr Tobin nor myself have been able to learn what Genus etc it has been referred to. We have been much puzzled likewise with the Turpentine tree indeed difficulties present themselves almost at every stage. I have discovered a small shrub, evidently a Bignonia, with large yellow Trumpet Flowers, which I cannot find described in any of Mr Tobins books of reference; were it not for the different colour of the flowers, I should imagine it to be the Bignonia Radiata; the leaves nearly resembling those of our English Ash.