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embarrassment I now lie under, — the want of this 

 permission of your government, which I entreat you 

 by all the reasons of humanity to endeavour to ob- 

 tain to me by the interposition of Sir Joseph Banks, 

 who, in his character of general patron of sciences 

 and letters, will, 1 am sure, not be scandalized, if I 

 apply to his protection for such a narrow permis- 

 sion of staying in London. 



I have so full a confidence in your friendship and 

 humane generosity, as well as in his liberal heart, 

 that I entertain no doubt of obtaining it. This fa- 

 vour can make me happy ; and what is to me now 

 a time the greatest benefit to receive, is not I con- 

 fide very difficult to you to bestow. I do not write 

 to the Chevalier Almeyda, our ambassador, because 

 he is the nephew of a great man w T ho is in the num- 

 ber of my persecutors, and from what I have seen, 

 none of the less violent ; and this same reason hin- 

 ders me from thinking of England for the place of 

 my asylum. The ship I am in is the sloop Mary, 

 Captain Anthony Reskruge. The name I have 

 taken is Joseph Porto, which is the family name of 

 a relation of mine, not by any other reason but to 

 get safe out of the Tagus ; but now I shall pass by 

 it till I reach London, and the permission I so 

 earnestly pray you to obtain me is to be obtained 

 with that name. 



Perhaps a letter for me from Lisbon has reached 

 Sir Joseph Banks's hands, as also now I send a du- 

 plicate of this, the more to be assured of your re- 

 ceiving it. I entreat you to beg pardon to him in 

 my name for such importunities ; but the friend 



