ABSTRACT
To the Garets Amsterdam and London provided almost equally favourable settings for the development of connections which spanned the world. Since the very early 1580s at the latest and until at least the rst years of the seventeenth century James Jr was very well informed about (and in several cases personally connected with) the voyages of British explorers. He managed to obtain many exotic naturalia that they brought back, gathered information about their names and uses, had access to manuscripts, printed works and early translations about the voyages and exotic naturalia, and was kept informed about the careers of the most important English commanders. He also tested and used new drugs in his professional preparations, and grew various newly imported plants in his garden.
