SIK JOSEPH BANKS. 381 



whence they are to be put on board ; matters which, I appre- 

 hend, cannot be so well settled any where as on the spot 

 where the collection now is." 



M. CHAEEETIE TO SIR J. BANKS. 



" WALCOT PLACE, le 10 Aofit, 1796. 



" M. Charretie fait bien ses complimens a Monsieur le 

 Chevalier Banks, et ne doutant pas que ce ne soit a ses de- 

 marches que le Gouvernement Francois soit redevable de la 

 remise de la collection de M. la Billardiere, il peut etre per- 

 suade de la reconnoissance du Direct oire Executif. M. Char- 

 retie aura 1'honneur d'aller demain avant midi temoigner a 

 Monsieur Banks toute sa gratitude particuliere pour ses bons 

 offices, et conferer des moyens les plus propres a faire 1' envoi 

 de la collection dont il s'agit." 



II. 



THE very imperfect manner in which the attempts to 

 write Sir Joseph Banks's Life have been made we have already 

 had occasion to remark, as well as the errors which have been 

 introduced into the accounts hitherto given of that eminent 

 person. There is but too much reason to fear that this work 

 ill supplies the defect in our scientific history, owing, among 

 other things, to his having strictly ordered all his letters and 

 other manuscripts to be destroyed. But errors have been 

 corrected, and it is hoped that some important particulars 

 have been given. 



Among the accounts hitherto offered to the world those 

 of the French writers are beyond all comparison the most 

 erroneous and indeed fanciful. The ' Biographic Universelle' 

 may be cited as peculiarly abounding in such inventions. 

 The statement that Sir Joseph allowed Dr. Solander a salary 

 or pension of 400/ a-year I believe to be wholly groundless ; 

 the sum would have been preposterous, especially considering 

 that the Doctor enjoyed a considerable place in the British 

 Museum. The institution of the Copley Medal is said to 

 be for " the experiments the most useful to the preservation 

 of lives," whereas it is for the " best paper on experimental 



