SIGISMUND BACSTROM, M.D. 95 



unknown, lost, and as much a stranger as in 1772, 73, 74, 75, 

 when I had the honour to serve you.""'' In the first of these 

 years Bacstrom accompanied Banks on his voyage to Iceland ; 

 during the remainder he was employed in the Banksian her- 

 barium. The principal evidences of his work as transcriber are the 

 copies of the MSS. already mentioned relating to Banks and Sol- 

 ander's voyage round the world ; that of Lightfoot's journey into 

 Wales, and one or two smaller MSS. ; of a certain number of the 

 Solander MSS., bound up with them ; a transcription into a copy 

 of Ray's Historia of all the MS. references from Sloane's copy ; 

 and the names on some sheets of the herbarium. 



We learn from an undated letter that Eainsford did not carry 

 out his promises, and poor Bacstrom, in despair, sent his wife 

 — he himself being "very much indisposed" — to wait upon 

 Banks and endeavour to obtain his approval of a " memorial or 

 petition." The result of this is not apparent, but on Aug. 18 of 

 the same year he was appointed by two city merchants, one of 

 whom had twice (in 1780 and 1784) employed him in the same 

 capacity, as surgeon to a " fine ship " which was to proceed 

 "round Cape Hoorn to the South Seas, to Nootka Sound, China 

 and through the East Indies round the Cape of Good Hope home, 



consequently round the world The intended voyage is 



entirely for a commercial purpose, we are to bring the Cortex 

 peruv. and whatever valual)le druggs or natural productions we 

 can meet with that will fetch money, independent of the new 

 furr trade between Nootka Sound and China." Bacstrom was 

 instructed " to soUicit Sir Joseph's advice concerning plants or 

 roots which might in future answer some commercial purpose," 

 and asks Banks to send him "a print or drawing of the Cortex, 

 the Rhubarb plant, the Gum Copal Tree, or of some other valu- 

 able article of the vegetable department," adding, " whatever 

 curious things not concerning my Gentlemen I might have in my 

 power to bring home, I will wait on you first. Sir, to offer them 

 to you as a feeble mark of my gratitude." 



Towards the expenses of the voyage Banks contributed £10, 

 on the understanding that Bacstrom 's " leisure hours " should be 

 employed in collecting for the Banksian herbarium ; this is 

 acknowledged by Bacstrom in a letter dated Sept. 10, in which he 

 says that he was to sail on the 1st of October. 



But the misfortune which seems to have attended Bacstrom 

 throughout that part of his life of which alone we have record 

 did not even now desert him. The last letter in the collection, 

 dated from Lambeth, November 18, 1796, gives an account of his 

 expedition which it may be worth while to describe. After 

 referring to an unanswered letter of Oct. 18, 1795, which does not 

 appear in the correspondence and perhaps was never received, 

 and thanking Banks for his kindness to Mrs. Bacstrom during the 

 writer's absence, the narrative proceeds : — 



* A subsequent reference to his having been "in this country since 21 

 years" places Bacstrom's arrival in Kngland in 1770. 



