PM I I ■¡§•1 §®k Is11i •it | :| 1 1 1 ISgpJI IH If I 11 1 I p« ( i i l | lg I n 1 «A 1 7 7 ,2 . April. at the fame time correcting one in the moft infimtating manner when one makes ufe of ail improper expreffion in their language, was at this juncture extremely agreeable to me ; and the more fo, as I had not the leaft knowledge o f the dialed and terms in ufe among them in India. In this kind o f civility, which proceeds from a good difpoii- tion as well as a good education, many of the inhabitants of the Cape, the fair fex in particular, were moil lamentably, deficient. On this account, the Europeans are apt to conceive rather unfavourable ideas o f the politenefs o f the African coloniits. However this be, * thefe latter learn very little of any foreign language, though they are otherwife indefatigable in their application to trade, and every thing that tends to their emolument; and although the income o f the whole colony, as well as the particular intereft of moft of the inhabitants, depends entirely on their trade with foreigners. The next day I went back again to the Cape, to fetch my baggage from on board o f fhip, and take leave of my friends. I could not help being tenderly affeCted at parting from them,, and indeed this was- the laft time that I faw many of them. It was not till I had loft fight o f the Swedifh colours, that I felt myfelf an abfolute ftranger on the African coaft. During the few days,, however, that I yet had to flay in town, I enjoyed the greateft felicity in the company of an old Upfal chum, Dr. T h u n b e r g , now demonflrator in that univerfity, whofe tafte for botany had induced him to undertake a voyage to this remoteft point of Africa. He travelled at the expence o f fome gentlemen in Holland, and had come hither with a Dutch fhip a few days after me. me. Nothing could have happened more unexpected to him, than to fee in perfon at the Cape, a man whom, agree-, able to the lateft advices, he now fuppofed.to be at Upfal, engaged in courfes of academical lectures; and nothing could be more pleafmg to him, than to receive the letters which I brought him from his friends and relations. I was foon however obliged to return to Falfe-bay, by which means I loft the company o f my countryman, who alone could make the Cape for me a little Sweden; and render our favourite ftudy, which we both applied to in common, ftill more eafy and delightful. In the meanwhile, perhaps none but a lover of natural hiftory can imagine, what pleafure we enjoyed together among the herbs and flowers. At firft almoft every day was a rich harveft of the .rareft and moil beautiful plants; and I had almoft fald, that at every ftep we made one or more new difco- yeries. And as I had many Swedifh friends, and particularly the great L i n n jE U S , always prefent in my memory, every duplicate or triplicate o f the plants that I gathered, gave me a fenfible pleafure; though my covet- oufnefs for myfelf and my friends, frequently induced, me to gather more than I was able to attend to, and dry in a proper manner. This, doubtlefs, happens more or lefs to every botanifl who travels into foreign parts : but befxdes this circumftance, I was not a little taken off, by my bu- finefs with the refident, from the more agreeable application to my beloved fcience. By this means I was often deprived of opportunities o f inveftigating fome of thofe plants that I had collected : I therefore negleCted no opportunity of fending to SutG h a r e e s b Vo l . I. D L in n a u s
27f 72-1
To see the actual publication please follow the link above