The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica. Containing 1. An accurate Description of that Island, its Situation, and Soil; with a brief Account of its former and present State, Government, Revenues, Produce, and Trade.

Author: Patrick Browne (1720–1790)

Year: 1756

Publisher: Printed for the author, at the College of Physicians

Place: London

Description:

[vi]+viii+503 pages with 2 engraved folding maps hand-colored in outline, 49 hand-colored engraved plates. Folio (13 3/4" x 9") bound in contemporary calf with red label lettered in gilt to spine. (Great Flower Books, p 52; Nissen BBI 255; Stafleu & Cowan TL2 842) First edition.

Patrick Browne a native of County Mayo, Ireland, studied medicine in Paris, graduated from the University of Rheims in 1742, and briefly continued his studies at Leiden before practicing as a doctor at St Thomas's Hospital, London. In 1737 he went to live in Antigua with a relative, but ill health prompted his return to Europe, where he studied medicine in Paris for five years and pursued his personal interests in botany and mathematics. He moved to Leiden and continued his medical studies for a further two years, graduating MD 21 February 1743. While there he became acquainted with Gronovius and began a twenty-year correspondence with Linnaeus.

He practiced medicine at St Thomas's hospital in London for two years before returning to the West Indies (1746–55), spending time in Antigua and the other sugar islands before settling in Kingston, Jamaica. He worked as a doctor but continued to follow his interest in natural history by observing and collecting specimens of the island's plants and animals. On his return to Europe he published a new map of Jamaica (London, 1755), for which he profited by 400 guineas (£420). The following year he published The civil and natural history of Jamaica (1756; 2nd ed. 1769), which contained his observations of the economics, geology, and natural history of the island and included detailed engravings of the flora and fauna. In it he commented on having collected more plants than fellow Irishman Hans Sloane, who had published an earlier natural history of Jamaica (1707–25). The Danish zoologist Peter Ascanius, writing to Linnaeus, said he thought Browne a superior botanist to Sloane.

Condition:

Contemporary calf (rebacked). Rubbed, adhesive stains to front endpapers from old tape reinforcement (since removed), worming through lower left corner margins with some holes touching corners of plates, plate 38 bound at end of part 1 (after leaf 5D1), scattered browning and spotting. Provenance: Robet Charles Herbert Hotchkin (bookplate and presentation on front free endpaper). Very good. Due to the size and weight this will require additiona postage.