Kalm's account of his visit to England : on his way to America in 1748 / translated by Joseph Lucas ; with two maps and several illustrations.

  • Pehr Kalm
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Kalm's account of his visit to England : on his way to America in 1748 / translated by Joseph Lucas ; with two maps and several illustrations. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and make all kinds of observations on Natural History and Natural Science Natur-Kunnogheten &c., which Sir Hans Sloane approved of very highly, and believed that I should find there a number of rare things. Sir Hans Sloane had many years before given up all his public engagements [T. I. p. 40g] and resigned himself now for the remainder of his life to live in rest and peace at Chelsea on his estate. He was now rather deaf, so that we were obliged to shout loud for him to hear it. On the tongue he had a swelling, so that he spoke indistinctly enough and very slowly. Sometimes a long time passed by before he got out a word. [T. I. p. 388]. The 6th May, 1748. Sir Hans Sloane’s Frus G-raf. Lady Sloane's grave. Sir Hans Sloane had long been a widower. During his residence in Jamaica he had married a very rich widow, which placed him in a position to fulfil his bent for Natural History, and enabled him to buy the greater part of the Natural History Collection he now owns. Ever since he about eight years ago ceased to be President of the Royal Society [1740] [T. I. p. 38g] he has lived continually here in Chelsea on his estate free from all care. One and all looked upon this man with a par- ticular respect, because he was the oldest of all the learned men now living in Europé, whose names on account of their writings and learning, are widely known. We find in the Philosophical Letters of that learned man, John Ray, several letters which Sir Hans Sloane had written as long ago as the year 1684, together with several of John Ray’s answers to them, from which ap- pears what a great insight Sir Hans Sloane had even at that time [aged 2g] into all branches of natural science, not to mention the other Sciences.
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