560 HUMPHRY MARSHALL [1786. 



which, if they succeed, may become of importance both to your 

 country and mine. 



I shall, therefore, be obliged to you, if you can procure me one 

 or two hundred weight of fresh roots, gathered after the seed is 

 ripe, and, if possible, after the stalk is dried up. 



They should be picked for the largest and fairest, and the bud, 

 if there is any on their crown, carefully preserved ; should be packed 

 as soon as possible, after they are dug up, in damp moss (the white, 

 found on the swamps, is the best), and headed up in a cask ; in 

 which manner they will come safe, if stowed in a cool place, and 

 sent as speedily as convenient. 



I shall be glad to pay the amount of their cost, to whomever you 

 may appoint ; being, sir, 



Your most obedient servant, 



Jos. Banks. 



Please to direct them to Sir Jos. Banks, President of the Royal 

 Society, Soho Square ; and give me a line of advice. 



HUMPHRY MARSHALL TO SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 



West Bradford, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 

 the 14th of the 11th mo., 1786. 



Respected Friend : 



I received thy favour, dated April the 5th, 1786, in which thou 

 seems desirous of trying an experiment upon the curing the root of 

 Ginseng ; for which purpose thou desires that I would procure 

 thee one or two hundred weight of the fresh root, gathered after 

 the seed is ripe ; and pack it up in damp moss, headed up in a 

 cask, and sent as speedily as convenient ; and thou'll pay the cost 

 to such persons as I should appoint to receive it ; which requisition 

 I have endeavoured to comply with, but have not been able to pro- 



and, accordingly, in 1763, he made a voyage to Labrador and Newfoundland ; in 

 1768, accompanied the great navigator, Cook; and, in 1772, visited Iceland, and 

 the Western Isles of Scotland. 



On his return, the University of Oxford conferred on him the degree of Doctor 

 of Laws. In 1778, he obtained the Order of the Bath, and the Presidency of the 

 Royal Society. This situation he held until his death, which occurred on the 19th 

 of June, 1820. 



He wrote some papers in the Philosophical Transactions, and a tract on the 

 rust in wheat. His collection of books on Natural History was the most complete 

 m Europe. See Encycl. Americana, and Blake's Biographical Dictionary. 



