156 ROBERT POCOCK. 



"Monday, llth. Fine. Mr. Spencer,, sen., called 

 (from Chatham), and said his son. William, with Mr. 

 Viuail, had given Mr. Nugent Bell, the Irish barrister, 

 a large sum (between two and three hundred pounds) 

 to make search for pedigrees, &c., and to proceed in 

 recovering the Selby estate from Mr. Lowndes, the 

 possessor ; but that Mr. Bell had died the day a verdict 

 had been given against him in a cause wherein he 

 took more money than the law allowed. 



" Tuesday, 12th. Mr. Pitcher bought my curious 

 China jars. 



" Wednesday, 137&. Dull at intervals. Walked in 

 Clark's garden, and found the Silene armeria in bloom. 

 It is scarce ; has a pink blossom, and crowned or 

 fringed in the crown. Look for it again next year. 



''Thursday, 14^. Sun. Mr. Brown of the Ogil 

 Castle, East Indiaman, going out November 14th, 1822, 

 promises to collect shells, &c., and to write to me 

 when the ship arrives in the Downs. Old Mr. J. 

 Sherrass died this day in the poor house of Gravesend. 

 His daughter married Mr. Spencer, of Chatham Dock- 

 yard, whose son lays claim to the Selby estate of 

 Buckinghamshire, now held by Mr. Lowndes, a member 

 of Parliament. Many gulls in the river. 



" Tuesday, 19th. Received a letter from Miss , 



the intelligent and rich Jewess. 



" Wednesday, 20th. Mr. J. Finch (grandson to the 

 famous Dr. Priestley) called upon me, on his way to 

 America. He is going out in the Acasto, bound to 

 New York. He bought some paper, and I informed him 

 that when his grandfather was going out to America 

 he also bought some paper of me, at which he won- 

 dered, and w^ got into conversation. As he was known 



