GAROLINA 1 BBIGKELL W0V22I9II EXCHANGE LIBRARV OF THE University of California. RECEIVED BY EXCHANGE Class / NOTE. THE Natural History of North Carolina, writ- ten by John Brickell, a physician who lived and practiced medicine in Edenton, N. C, about 1731, is the most interesting of the early histories of the State. Copies of this book are now very rare and difficult to obtain. Within the past few months a student of the State's history considered himself fortunate in securing one from abroad, at a cost of more than $40. As the growing interest in the State's history in the past few years makes it desirable to place this book within the reach of readers, the trustees of the State Library have authorized its republication. Dr. Brickell's history is the best description we have of the natural, social, and economic conditions in the Colony of North Carolina, but its merits have been obscured and its value largely depreciated by careless and unjust reviewers. Jared Sparks and others charged him with plagiarizing Lawson. Of this, Dr. Stephen B. Weeks says : ''These statements are only partially correct, and do grave injustice to Brickell. He acknowledges in his preface that his work is 'a compendious collection of most things yet known in that part of the world.' But it is a good deal more than a mere slavish reprint of Lawson. It is further in- creased almost one-half in bulk. The reprint of Lc",v"son made in 18G0 contains 390 pages, with about 27C words to the page. Of this space, 106 pages are taken i:p with his 'Journal of a Thousand Miles Travel.' Thi? part is not used by Brickell. The edition of his work published in 1737 contains 408 pages, about 340 words tc the page. "Brickell took the book of Lawson, rewoiked it in his own fashion, extended or curtailed, and brought it to his time. The effect of his professional training is seen everywhere. Note. for there is hardly a description of a plant or animal which does not have some medical use attached to it. His work is fuller, more systematic, and seems more like that of a student; Lawson's work seems more like that of a traveler and observer. There is, besides, much more relating to the social condition of the Colony in Brickell, who has a sec- tion on 'The religion, houses, raiment, diet, liquors, firing, diversions, commodities, languages, diseases, curiosities, cat- tle, etc.,' while Lawson sticks close to the natural, economic, and Indian history of the Province." Of Dr. Brickell little is known. Major John W. Moore says that Dr. John Brickell, ''the naturalist, physician, and historian," and his brother, the Eev. Matthias Brickell, came with Governor Burrington to Carolina. Dr. Brickell re- mained at Edenton, while his brother became the first rector of St. Johns in Bertie County, ^Svhich for years was the only house of worship west of the Chowan Biver."^ Dr. Brickell appears as a member of the grand jury of the whole Province, in 1731, and signed a congratulatory address^ to the King upon the purchase of the Colony by the Crown from the Lords Proprietors. While in J^orth Carolina, Dr. Brickell probably rendered ^the Colony some service in a friendly mission to the Chero- te Indians, and penetrated far into the territory now in- cli^d in the State of Tennessee. His description of this iouri.i^' is most interesting, and though overdrawn, is a dis- tinct cori^f'^i^^i<^^^ ^o our history of the habits of the Xorth Carolina h\iji^i«- We have no record of Dr. l^rickell's career after h\h'^' \orth Carolina. The Kev. .althias Brickell is said to have luvn a man of |)ow('r aii