JOHN GEORGE, M.D. public lecturer on botany and physic at Tubingen, member of the Royal Society of Gottingen, and of the Academy of Sciences at Stockholm, was born on the 12th of August 1709, at Tubingen, where his father was an apothecary. Such was his diligence while at school, that he was qualified to attend the academical lectures at the age of 14, and was created doctor of medicine when only 19. He paid a visit about this time to the metropolis of the Russian empire, that he might have the pleasure of seeing some of his former teachers. There he became acquainted with Blumentrost, director of the academy, who introduced him to the meetings of the members, and procured for him an annual pension. At Peterburgh he was so much esteemed, that when he intimated a wish in 1729 to return to Tubingen, he was honoured with a place among the regular members of the academy, and chosen professor of chemistry and natural history in the year 1731. In order to carry into execution a plan which had been formed by Peter the Great, for exploring a passage to China and Japan along the coast of the Russian empire, Gmelin was selected along with two others, as properly qualified for that undertaking, and likewise to ascertain the boundaries of Siberia. The department of natural history was assigned to our author. He had with him and his companions, six students, two draughtsmen, two hunters, two miners, four land-surveyors, and 12 soldiers, with a sergeant and drummer. They began their journey on the 19th of August 1733; and in 1736, Steller and a painter joined their society, in order to assist Gmelin in his arduous labours.

By exploring Kamtschatka, they hoped to accomplish their mission in a satisfactory manner, for which purpose Steller proceeded to this place, and the rest of the society continued their travels through Siberia. In February 1743 Gmelin returned to Peterburgh in safety after a dangerous journey which lasted nine years and a half, but proved of the utmost importance to various branches of science. He returned the offices which he had filled before; and having paid a visit in 1747 to his native country, he was chosen professor, while absent, in the room of Bachmeister deceased. He was seized with a violent fever in May 1755, which put a period to his valuable life, in the 43rd year of his age. He was undoubtedly one of the most eminent botanists of the last century, and has rendered his name immortal by his Flora Sibirica, seu historia plantarum Siberiae, in four parts, large quarto. He determined the boundaries between Europe and Asia, which every celebrated geographer has adopted since his day. Through all his works the traces of great modesty, a sacred regard to truth, and the most extensive knowledge of nature, are remarkably conspicuous.

Gmelin, Dr Samuel, was born in 1743 at Tubingen, where he also studied, and became doctor in medicine in 1763. He was afterwards admitted a member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St Petersburg. He commenced his travels in June 1768; and having traversed the provinces of Moscow, Voronez, New Russia, Azof, Caffa, and Astracan, he visited, in 1770 and 1771, the different harbours of the Caspian, and examined with peculiar attention those parts of the Persian provinces which border upon that sea, of which he has given a circumstantial account in the three volumes of his travels already published. Actuated by a zeal for extending his observations, he attempted to pass through the western provinces of Persia, which are in a perpetual state of warfare, and infested by numerous banditti. Upon this expedition, he quitted, in April 1772, Einzillee, a small trading place in Ghilan, upon the southern shore of the Caspian; and, on account of many difficulties and dangers, did not, until December 2, 1773, reach Sallian, a town situated upon the mouth of the river Koor. Thence he proceeded to Baku and Kuba, in the province of Shirvan, where he met with a friendly reception from Ali Feth Khan, the sovereign of that district. After he had been joined by 20 Uralian Cossacks, and when he was only four days' journey from the Russian fortress Kiljar, he and his companions were, on the 5th of February 1774, arrested by order of Ulmei Khan, a petty Tartar prince, through whose territories he was obliged to pass. Ulmei urged as a pretence for this arrest, that 30 years ago several families had escaped from his dominions, and had found an asylum in the Russian territories; adding, that Gmelin should not be released until these families were restored. The professor was removed from prison to prison; and at length, wearied out with continued persecutions, he expired, July 27th, at Achmet-Kent, a village of Mount Caucasus. His death was occasioned partly by vexation for the loss of several papers and collections, and partly by disorders contracted from the fatigues of his long journey. Some of his papers had been sent to Kiljar during his imprisonment, and the others were not without great difficulty rescued from the hands of the barbarian who had detained him in captivity. The arrangement of these papers, which will form a fourth volume of his travels, was at first confided to the care of Guildenstaedt, but upon his death has been transferred to the learned Pallas.