viii. Menzies Journal. 



He subsequently entered the Royal Navy as assistant surgeon on board 

 the " Nonsuch," under Captain Truscott, and took part in Rodney's 

 victory over the Comte de Grasse on April 12th, 1782. After peace 

 was declared he served on the Halifax Station. In a letter of intro- 

 duction to Sir Joseph Banks dated August 22nd, 1786, Dr. Hope says: 

 " Mr. Archibald Menzies was early acquainted with the culture of 

 plants and acquired the principles of botany by attending my lectures. 

 He was particularly acquainted with the Scotch plants, of the rarest 

 of which he made a collection for Doctors Fothergill and Pitcairn. 

 He has been several years on the Halifax Station in His Majesty's 

 service as a surgeon, where he has paid unremitting attention to his 

 favourite study of botany, and through the indulgence of the Com- 

 mander-in-Chief had good opportunities afforded him." 



Menzies' first correspondence with Banks was while he was on 

 board the " Assistance " at Halifax, N.S., from which place he sent 

 botanical news and an assortment of seeds for the collection at Kew 

 Gardens. Upon the arrival of the " Assistance " at Chatham, England, 

 in August, 1786, Menzies sent up to London a small box of Acadian 

 plants, together with a note to Sir Joseph, in which he promises to 

 visit him in a few days, but says : " Meanwhile I am informed there 

 is a ship, a private adventurer, now fitting out at Deptford to go round 

 the world. Should I be so happy as to be appointed surgeon of her, it 

 will at least gratify one of my greatest worldly ambitions, and afford 

 one of the best opportunities of collecting seeds and other objects of 

 natural history for you and the rest of my friends ! " A few days 

 later Menzies announces that he was happily appointed surgeon to an 

 expedition round the world: "... Two vessels are going in 

 company, a ship, the ' Prince of Wales ' (commanded by Captain 

 Colnett), and a sloop, the "Princess Royal.' The proposed route is 

 round South America and by the Japanese Islands to China, and then 

 round the Cape of Good Hope homeward. Their chief object is the 

 fur trade. But it is not allowed for the ship's company to trade or 

 barter for any curiosities." He expresses the hope, however, that they 

 would not be debarred from picking up curiosities if they came in their 

 way, and asks Sir Joseph to intervene with Mr. Etches, who was the 

 merchant and ship-owner. As a result of Sir Joseph's influence Mr. 

 Etches agreed to dispense with the restrictions in the case of Menzies, 

 of whose conduct and manners he highly approved. 



The voyage of the " Prince of Wales " round Cape Horn to the 

 North Pacific Ocean occupied nearly three years. Menzies had sent 

 home a consignment of plants and he had brought back the ship's com- 

 pany in perfect health, only one man having died. In a letter dated 



