40 MEMOIR OF DRURY. 



by sending specimens himself, and using his influ- 

 ence with other naturalists for the same purpose- 

 But of all his contributors, perhaps the most valu- 

 able was Henry Smeathman. A long intimacy 

 seems to have subsisted between Drury and this 

 gentleman, for we find that they were in corre- 

 spondence with each other at an early date, and in 

 such terms as to imply a previous friendship of 

 some standing. Smeathman had acquired consider- 

 able skill in natural history, and seems to have 

 possessed the requisite powers of observation for 

 successfully prosecuting that study, if we may judge 

 from his excellent history of the Termites or white 

 ants, which he was the first to illustrate. Being 

 desirous of becoming a travelling naturalist, Drury 

 and a few of his friends subscribed the requisite sum, 

 and sent hiirl to the coast of Africa, the productions 

 of which were at that time comparatively little 

 known. The principal subscribers, besides Drury, 

 were Mr. Banks (afterwards Sir Joseph), Dr. So- 

 lander, Dr. Fothergill, and, at a later period, the 

 Duchess dowager of Portland, who was a zealous 

 collector of shells. Smeathman left this country in 

 1771) and in the ensuing year we find the following 

 amusing letter from his patron, addressed to him at 

 Sierra Leone. 



" London, April 28, 1772. 

 " Dear Smeathman, 



" I received both your letters, one of which (the 

 principal one) without any date enclosed the other, 



