in England. He had the curiosity to measure some of them. A China orange measured in the extent of its branches fourteen feet. A Seville orange was fourteen feet high, the case included, and the stem Iwenty-one inches round. A China orange twenty-two inches and a half in girth. July 11th, 1777. I visited the orangery at Margam in the year 1766, in company with Mr. Lewis Thomas, of Eglews Nynngt in that neighbourhood, a very sensible and attentive man, who told me that the orange trees, &c. in that garden were intended as a present from the king of Spain to the king of Denmark; and that the vessel in which they were shipped being taken in the Channel, the trees were made a present of to, sir R., Mansell, December 10th, 1765. A few days ago died my friend Mr. Bennet, who was very curious and industrious in procuring seeds and plants from abroad. He had a garden behind the Shadwell waterworks, near the spot where he lived, and built several very handsome stoves at a great expense, filling them with fine exotics of all kinds; but the erecting a fire-engine to raise the water, so hurt his plants by the smoke, that he removed to a large garden of two or three acres in the fields at the back of Whitechapel laystalls. Here he built a large house for pines and other rare exotics, which he left well stocked, In this garden he raised water melons to a great size and perfection; I have told above forty lying ripe on the ground. They were raised in frames, and transplanted out under bell-glasses. A basket of these melons was sent to the king. Mr. Bennet had besides a great collection of hardy-ground plants. His garden and all his plants were sold by auction April 14, 1766. » The seeds of the rhubarb with. broad curled leaves were first raised. by me. They were sent by Dr.. Amman, professor of botany at Petersburg, whose father-in-lawwas. Russian governor of the province near which the rhubarb grows. The seed of that with long narrow curled leaves was sent. by the Jesuits in China to my friend Dr. Tanches, at Petersburg, by the Russian caravan, and be sent it to me. Lord Rochefort, our ambassador in Spain, in a letter dated Madrid, November 1765, says, that in the parts where he had been, there are very few forest-trees worth notice; but the ilexes about the Escurial are fine. One sort produces acorns. of a monstrous size, which they cat in Spain at their best tables, and they are as sweet as chesnuts. May 17th, 1761. I was invited. by Mr. Sharp, at South Lodge, on Enfield Chase, to dine, and sce. the Virginia dog-wood Cornus florida). The calyx of the flowers is as large as those figured by Catesby, and (what is remarkable) this is the only tree that bears these flowers amongst many hun. dreds that I have seen it began to bear them in May, 1759. Anno 1747. Raised a new species of what appears to be a threethorned acacia, from seeds from Persia, that came with Azad or Persian hornbeam, given me by Mr. Baker: it thrives well in my garden, I gave seed to Mr. Gor don, and he also raised it. : The eastern hornbeam (Miller's Dictionary, edition 8th) was raised from from seed given to me, which came from Persia by the name of Azad. I gave it to Mr. Gordon, gardener at Mile-End, who was so fortunate as to have it come up anno 1747, and from him my garden and other gardens have been supplied. There is a large tree in my field at Hen don, Middlesex. Mr. Miller is greatly mistaken in saying the Arundo, No. 2, or Donax, dies down every year. In my garden the stalks have continued for some years, making annually young green shoots from every joint, and bear a handsome tassel of flowers. The first time I ever saw it in flower was Septemher 15th, 1762. This very long hot dry season has made many exotics flower. Donar seu Arundo flowered this year also (1762) at Mr. Gordon's at Mile-End. October the 22d, 1746, I received the first double Spanish broom that was in England, sent me by my friend Mr. Brewer at Nuremberg: it cost there a golden ducat; and, being planted in a pot nicely wickered all over, came from thence down the river Elbe to Hamburgh, from whence it was brought by the first ship to London. I inarched it on the singleflowered broom, and gave it to Gray and Gordon, gardeners, and from them all have been supplied. Anno 1756. Some roots of Siberian martagon sent me by Mr. Demidoff,proprietor of the Siberian iron mines, flowered for the first time, May 24, 1756. The flower is but little reflexed, and is, I' think, the nearest to black of any flower that I know, In the year 1727, my intimate⠀ friend sir Charles Wager, first lord' of the admiralty, brought plants from Gibraltar-hill, of the Linaria procumbens Hispanica flore flavescente pulchrè striato, labiis nigro-" purpureis, which I have yet in my garden, anno 1761; and at the same time he brought the broadleaved Teucrium, and a species of periwinkle, neither of which were in our gardens before; and some roots of what is called Hyacinths of Peru. In the year 1756, the famous tulip-tree in Lord Peterborough's garden at Parson's Green, "near` Fulham, died. It was about "seventy feet high, the tallest tree in the ground, and perhaps a hundred years old, being the first tree of the kind that was raised in Eng land. It had for many years the visitation of the curious to see its flowers, and admire its beauty, for it was as straight as an arrow, and died of age by a gentle decay. But it was remarkable, that the same year that this died, a tolip-tree, which I had given to sir Charles Wager, flowered for the first time. in his garden, which was opposite lord Peterborough's. This tulips) tree I raised from seed, and it was thirty years old when it flowered. April 8th, 1749. I removed from my house at Peckhani, Sur-s rey, and was for two years in trans planting my garden to my house at Mill-Hill, called Ridgeway-House, in the parish of Hendon, Middle sex. Anno 1751. I raised the China or paper-mulberry from seed given me by Dr. Mortimer. 1 VISIT TO THE SULPHUR MOUNTAIN IN ICELAND. From Sir G. Mackenzie's Travels in Iceland The weather being warm and calm, we slept very comfortably in our tent, which was pitched near the banks of a small stream, at a short distance from the church. The 25th of May was a delightful day, and having taken an early breakfast of biscuit, cheese, and milk, we set out towards the Sulphur Mountain, which is about three miles distant frou Krisuvik. At the foot of the mountain was a small bank composed chiefly of white clay and some sulphur, from all parts of which steam issued, Ascending it, we got upon a ridge immediately above a deep hollow, from which a profusion of vapour arose, and heard a confused noise of boiling and splashing, joined to the roaring of steam escaping from narrow crevices in the rock. This hollow, together with the whole side of the mountain opposite, as far up as we could see, was covered with sulphur and clay, chiefly of a white or yellowish colour. Walking over this soft and steaming surface we found to be very hazardous; and I was frequently very uneasy when the vapour concealed my friends from me. The day, however, being dry and warm, the surface was not so slippery as to occasion much risk of our falling. The chance of the crust of sulphur breaking, or the clay sinking with us was great, and we were several times in dan ger of being much scalded. Mr. Bright ran at one time a great hazard, and suffered considerable pain from accidentally plunging one of his legs into the hot clay, From whatever spot the sulphur is removed, steam instantly escapes; and in many places the sulphur was so hot that we could scarcely handle it. From the smell I perceived that the steam was mixed with a small quantity of sulphurated hydrogen gas. When the thermometer was sunk a few inches into the clay, it rose generally to within a few degrees of the boiling point. By stepping cautiously, and avoiding every little hole from which steam issued, we soon discovered how far we might venture. Our good fortune, however, ought not to tempt any per SOD to examine this wonderful place, without being provided with two boards, with which any onè may cross every part of the banks in perfect safety. At the bottom of this hollow we found a cauldron of boiling mud, about fifteen feet in diameter, similar to that on the top of the mountain, which he had seen the evening before; but this boiled with much more vehemence. We went within a few yards of it, the wind happening to be remarkably favourable for view ing every part of this singular scene. The mud was in constant agitation, and often thrown up to the height of six or eight feet. Near this spot was an irregular space filled with water boiling briskly. At the foot of the bill, in a hollow formed by a bank of clay and sulphur, steam rushed with great force and noise from among the loose fragments of rock. Further up the mountain, we met with a spring of cold water, à circumstance little expected in a place like this. Ascending still higher, higher, we came to a ridge composed entirely of sulphur and clay, joining two summits of the mountain. Here we found a much greater quantity of sulphur than on any other part of the surface we had gone over. It formed a smooth crust from a quarter of an inch to several inches in thickness. The crust was beautifully crystallized. Immediately beneath it we found a quantity of loose granular sulphur, which appeared to be collecting and crystallizing as it was sublimed along with the steam. Sometimes we met with clay of different colours, white, red, and blue, under the crust; but we could not examine this place to any depth, as the moment the crust was removed, steam came forth, and proved extremely annoying. We found several pieces of wood, which were probably the remains of planks that had been formerly used in collecting the sulphur, small crystals of which partially covered them. There appears to be a constant sublimation of this substance; and were artificial chambers constructed for the reception and condensation of the vapours, much of it might probably be collected. As it is, there is a large quantity on the surface, and by searching, there is little doubt that great stores may be found. The inconvenience proceeding from the steam issuing on every side, and from the heat, is certainly considerable; but by proper precautions, neither would be felt so much as to render the collection of the sulphur a matter of any great difficulty. The chief obstacle to working these mines is their distance from a port, whence the produce could be shipped. But there are so many horses in the country, whose original price is trifling, and whose maintenance during summer costs nothing, that the conveyance of sulphur to Reikiavik presents no difficulties, which might not probably be surmounted. Below the ridge on the further side of this great bed of sulphur, we saw a great deal of vapour escaping with much noise. We crossed to the side of the mountain opposite, and found the surface sufficiently firm to admit of walking cautiously upon it. We had now to walk towards the principal spring, as it is called. This was a task of much apparent danger, as the side of the mountain, for the extent of about half a mile, is covered with loose clay, into. which our feet sunk at every step. In many places there was a thin crust, below which the clay was wet, and extremely hot. Good fortune attended us; and we reached, without any serious inconve nience, the object we had in view. A dense column of steam, mixed with a little water, was forcing its way impetuously through a crevice in the rock, at the head of a narrow valley, or break in the mountain. The violence with which it rushes out is so great, that the noises, thus occasioned, may of ten be heard at the distance of several miles, and during the night, while lying in our tent at Krisu. vik, we more than once listened to them with mingled awe and astonishment. Behind the column of vapour was a dark coloured rock, which gave it its full effect. It is quite beyond my power to offer such a description of this extraordinary place, as to convey a dequate dequate ideas of its wonders, or its terrors. The sensations of a person, even of firm nerves, standing on a support which feebly sustains him, over an abyss where, literally, fire and brimstone are in dreadful and incessant action; having before his eyes tremendous proofs of what is going on beneath him; enveloped in thick vapours; his ears stunned with thundering noises; these can hardly be expressed in words, and can only be well conceived by those who have experienced them. Earthquakes are said to occur frequently at Krisuvik, limited, however, to a small district in their extent and effects. It was remarked to us, also, that they happen generally after a continuance of wet weather; but whether these statements are accurate or not, we had no means of ascertaining. mountain than the verge of the perpetual snow, as the sheep never wandered beyond that limit; but this was also the case with the other inhabitants of the district. Every one of us provided himself with an Iceland walking staff, furnished with a long spike at the end; and in case of need, we car, ried some pairs of large coarse worsted stockings of the country manufacture. We likewise had our hammers and bags for speci mens, a compass and thermome ter, a bottle of brandy, with some rye bread and cheese. Thus equipped, we set for ward on our march; and having passed two or three cottages, whose inhabitauts gazed with won der at our expedition, we directed our course in nearly a straight line towards the margin of the snow. The nearer we approached it, vegetation became more and more scanty, and at length almost en tirely disappeared. After walking at a steady pace for two hours, in which time we had gone about six miles, we came to the first snow, and prepared ourselves for the more arduous part of our enter prize. The road being now alike new to all, we were as competent as our guides to the direction of our further course. The summits of all the surrounding mountains were covered with mist; but the Jokul was perfectly clear; and as the sun did not shine so bright as to dazzle our eyes with the reflec tion from the snow, we entertained good hopes of accomplishing our purpose. During the first hour the ascent was not very difficult, and the snow was sufficiently soft to yield to the pressure of our feef. After that time the acclivity was steeper, |