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OFFICIAL SECEECY TKANSGKESSED 143 



them home at all, and that did it come to his ears I should 

 not so soon hear the end of it. Nothing but affection for 

 you all prompted me to make them, it was a pleasure to me 

 to do so, although my conscience told me that I was not 

 acting properly to an Expedition whose orders I have often 

 told you are ' all journals, charts, drawings, &c.' to be given 

 up. That it will now come to Captain Ross's ears there 

 can be no doubt, I have difficulty enough in weathering him 

 who know him well, I must however blame myself for send- 

 ing them at all. If you have made Davis's drawing of the 

 ships in the Pack also to be known ' far and wide ' you will 

 run every chance of doing him a serious injury who is 

 dependent on the service. Again, a midshipman from the 

 Philomel, a youngster of the name of Fox, comes up to me 

 on a cricket ground where I was enjoying a little exercise 

 with the Philomels after the General Halkett sailed and tells 

 me he has heard my letters read in Dublin by his Aunt 

 and Mrs. Butler, some relations of some one of the name of 

 ' Innes.' Who these Foxes, Butlers, and Innes are I do not 

 know nor care, but my letters were never written to be made 

 so public or to leave the house further than Yarmouth or 

 Hampstead, nor do I choose to be the gossip of half the 

 friends' friends who may like to see them. My own wishes 

 with regard to them have been expressed often enough, and 

 surely I am old enough to know my own mind on such 

 matters ; they were written for my near relations alone, 

 and contain such messages to others as are requisite for them 

 to know ; my repugnance to any such notoriety is so strong 

 that if these wishes cannot be complied with I must give 

 up writing anything but simple statements. You may 

 remember that I was always very averse to any society but 

 that of persons whose pursuits were similar to mine, and 

 more particularly to that of four-fifths of our Glasgow and 

 other friends with whom my parents, brother and sisters 

 were on terms of intimacy ; this may be owing to a peculiar 

 temperament of mine or more probably to a fault ; still 

 I cannot help it, and care to be known by few but Botanists 

 and men of Science. With them my own industry must 

 introduce me, and what other real friends I have I can write 

 to. Do not be angry with me for writing the above ; as 

 a duty to myself it was in my opinion necessary for me to 



