TttE TRA^SLAtOR's PREFACE. XlX 



the Admiralty fuch of the journals, charts, plans, 

 drawings, and collections in natural hiflory be- 

 longing to Admiral D'Entrecafteaux's expedition, 

 as, previous to the capture of the Hoogly, M. 

 RofTel was conveying to Holland* 



On the 1 2th of March 17JK6, M. Labillar- 

 diere arrived at Paris from the Ifle of France, 

 and finding his collection of fpecimens of na- 

 tural hiflory in the pofTeffion of the Britifh go- 

 vernment, he urged the perfons exerciting the 

 government of France to claim them ; this appli- 

 cation being warmly feconded by Sir Jofeph 

 Banks) they were delivered up with the raoft 

 Scrupulous exaclnefs, and in a manner that re- 

 flects the highefl honour on the perfons imme- 

 diately concerned, and, with all the other papers, 

 charts, plans, &c. tranfmitted to Paris in Au- 

 guft 1796 *. 



A pcrufal of M. Labillardiere's narrative will 



afford the moft ample proof of his being emi- 

 nently 



* So exact were Ministers in their compliance with this ap- 

 plication, that the Board of Admiralty ordered a Lieutenant of 

 the navy to be fent to Havre in a flag of truce, with the twenty- 

 one cafes which contained M. Labillardiere's collections, and 

 which had previoufly been in the care of Sir Jofeph Banks. 



b a 



