XVm PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



this influence is afforded by some letters from Sir Joseph Banks, 

 with reference to the unhappy voyage of Tuckey to the Congo, 

 which, as it refers to an incident in my own life, and to my first 

 ■ introduction to my late revered friend, I trust that I shall be ex- 

 cused for relating. Many of you are aware that there was offered 

 to me in the year 1815 the appointment of Naturalist to that ill- 

 fated expedition. I sought an interview with Sir Joseph Banks, 

 to whom I was referred for information, and with whom rested 

 that appointment. Sir Joseph Banks being absent, I had a long 

 conversation with Mr. Brown, then his librarian ; and he, with 

 his accustomed kindness, laid before me the difficulties, the dan- 

 gers, and the improbabilities of success, which presented at that 

 time such formidable discouragements to those who were to form 

 the expedition, and which were in great measure the cause of my 

 declining the appointment. Now, on looking over the voluminous 

 correspondence which I have mentioned, it struck me as highly 

 probable that I should find some allusion to the circumstances of 

 the expedition; and I find, in several letters from Sir Joseph 

 Banks to the Government, representations which coincide entirely, 

 as far as my memory serves me, with many of the dissuasive rea- 

 sons which Mr. Brown had urged upon me. 



I will not trouble you longer upon these painful subjects, which 

 will presently be presented to you more at large. Happily there 

 are other and more cheerful matters to which it is my duty to 

 recur ; there is the white as well as the black side of the shield. 



Of the presents which have been made to our library and col- 

 lections, besides an unusual number of valuable books of the 

 ordinary description, there are some which demand especial notice. 

 A large collection of desiderata has been presented by Mr. Bennett, 

 of books which had belonged to the late Mr. Brown, to the extent 

 of about 300 items, many of them of particular value to us ; and 

 we have just received from our respected Fellow, Mr. Cuming, 

 the gift of all the works, not already in our possession, from his 

 large collection of conchological publications, perhaps altogether 

 the most complete in the world — those presented to us amounting 

 to about 200 volumes. These munificent donations will fill up 

 many hiatus in our library, and render it very complete in those 

 departments to which the works particularly belong. 



A very interesting addition has been recently made to our col- 

 lection of Linnean MSS. by the presentation of many original 

 -letters of Linnaeus formerly belonging to my old friend Dr. Maton, 



