66 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE mi 



Charles, dated in July last, at sea within two degrees of 

 the line. It came from Cork, and expressed that, so far, 

 they had experienced a pleasant voyage; and were not to 

 stop 'til they arrived among the Indian islands. 



Pray, niece, write to me. The boys might prepare their 

 skates, but they would be troubled to find water to make 

 ice this winter. Our ponds were dry, and the millers 

 wanted water for grinding. y*" loving; uncle 



Gil. White. 



On November 21st in the previous year (1780) 

 John W^hite, who had long been a sufferer from 

 a serious rheumatic complaint, died at Blackburn. 

 He was buried under the Communion table of the 

 parish church there. A mural tablet records that 

 he was "an ingenious and accurate Naturalist." 



Mulso writes on February 11th, 1781 : — 



" As his constitution was irrecoverably injured, his release 

 was a blessing to himself, as a very worthy man. But his 

 family and friends miss him much; and I think the world 

 has a loss in him, for he was a man of more than private 

 accomplishments, and united in himself things which do 

 not commonly assemble, mathematics and poetry, philosophy 

 and humour. Pray what is to become of his ' Fauna ' ? 



"That work is not, I hope, to be secreted, like a certain 

 person's, whose false modesty will not trust forth a Piece 

 really good for fear it should not be absolutely perfect, 

 which would be prodigii instar." 



The 'Fauna Calpensis' was never published. In 

 a notice of John White, written in a pedigree com- 

 piled, apparently in 1826, by his nephew John (son 

 of Benjamin) White, who, in partnership with his 



^. 



