A PLEASANT EXPEDITION. 193

peculiar care the celebrated manuscript of Dio-
scorides, so long preserved in the imperial library,
and secured the services of a most excellent
draughtsman, Mr I’. Bauer, to be the companion of
his projected expedition.

In 1786 they sailed from Naples to Crete, and
here, in the month of June, our botanical adven-
turers rejoicingly beheld Flora in her gayest attire: |
‘The snowy covering of the Sphaciote mountains
was withdrawing, and a tribe of lovely little blos-
soms were just peeping through the vale.” The
ensuing winter was spent by Dr S. at Constan-
tinople, and his residence there, and in the neigh-
bouring Isle of Karki, proved favourable to his
investigation of the fishes and birds of those re-
gions, by which he was enabled to throw much
light on the writings of ancient naturalists. In
the early spring he proceeded to Cyprus, where a
sojourn of five weeks enabled him to draw up a
Fauna and Flora of that island. The illustration
of the writings of Dioscorides in particular was a
principal object with him ; the names and reputed
virtues of several plants recorded by that ancient
writer, and still traditionally retained by the Athe-
nian shepherds, served occasionally to elucidate or
confirm their identity. The first sketch of the
Flora Greca comprised about 850 plants. ‘‘ This,”
said the author, ‘‘ may be considered as contain-