The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-09

"a as well as their excess
@ sive rarity, for many
vaars been the m ost sought after by
local collectors Of all the publications
relating to North Carolina.
TO this list of specialties may right
" be added the monumental work
Of the eminent English naturalist n
artist. Mark catesby, who, in 1881
1748. brought out in two large folio
volumes, containing 22O cOlOred plates,
the Natural History Of Carolina,
Florida and the Bahama Islands for
the range of the authors interests,
the keenness Of his observations, n
.he fa~ithfulness and skill Of his IL
iustrations. as well as the great rarity
of the work. entitle 1t to the very
highest, consideration.
The conception Of Catesby's work
dates from the spring of ILL., when
Catesby, like Lawson, who preceded
him, yielded to "a passionate desire Of
viewing the animal and vegetable pro-
auctions of different countries and set
sail on the 23d day Of April for Viz
sinia. where he thought his desire
would be most completely gratified.
For seven years he Travelled and made
observations o the animals, birds.
insects, plants, soil, climate, inhablt-
ants, etc, and occasionally sent back
to England specimens Of plants, seeds,
and other objects which proved OF
special interest to him.
Upon his return to England in 1719,
through the good graces of a Mr..
Dale, an apothecary and botanist to
whom he had sent the specimens re-
ferred to, he gained the interest and
friendship Of the celebrated botanist,
William Sherard. at whose instance
he was led to undertake seriously the
work of writing the history, and
through whose cooperation he was
enabled to form a company of twelve
leading men of letters and science to
equip him for his task and to meet
the expense of his further travels.
Thus equipped and stimulated, he
sailed for the shores OF Carolina. He
reached Charleston on the 23d Of
May. 1872, became the guest of Gov
ernor Nicholson, and began his OBJ
s~ervations and painting. On his ex-
cursi0n. which extended over North
and South Carolina. Georgia and
Florida, he employed an Indian guide
to carry his box which served as a
store for his material and paints as
well as for a receptacle for dry speci-
mems OF plants and seeds. In all OF
his expeditions he was much in
debted to the hospitality and care Of
his guide and the Indians generally.
as on all occasions he lived on the
food they provided him, and he con-
stantly looked to them for the pro-
lection of his sketches and specimens.
This duty was their first cOnsidera-
ton; his personal comfort came after.
He followed a systematic plan in
going about his work. He first
brought under observation the plants
and forest trees, noting especially
their uses as medicines and FOODS,
and their suitaDleness for employment
IN agriculture and in the building
trades. He next devoted his atten-
ton to the birds. as he found them
more numerous than any other AMI
mails and more easy Ito be come at
This portion of the work which com
priseS the greater part OF the hrst
volume, is especially complete and IN
Dictated the possibilities which might
be realized by the master hand OF an
Audubon in later years. The remain
ing part Of the work treats Of wild
animals not known to the old world,
Of serpentS, but few of which, &C
cording to his statement, failed to
come under his notice. and of fish,
the specimens Of hich were principally
observed in Florida and the
as the variety of species afforded there
was by far greater than that in Caro-
lima.
After completing his observations
he returned to England in 1926. Al
first he planned to bring out the Work
on plates made in Paris or Amster-
dam but the expense involved was
too great. Later, under the advice
and instruction of the painter, Joseph
Goupy, he undertook the mastery OF
the art of etching, became thorough
ly proficient in it, and proceeded &c
etch the necessary plates from his
own sketches. The time required to
complete the whole edition covered
a period of twenty-five years, the
work being finally completed in 174S
In speaking Of the completed work
and-in explanation Of certain OF it,
gence Of his readers because he was
not a painter or etcher by breeding.