TC2 TTIE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



Sir Joseph Banks to the King. 



(August 10, 1787.) 



" Sir Joseph Banks having been unsuccessful on 

 Tuesday last at Kew, when he attended in the Botanic 

 Garden in hopes of delivering the enclosed paper to Your 

 Majesty, thought it best by last night's post to request 

 that two Rams and four Ewes of the finest Spanish breed 

 might be procured for him and sent home with all ex- 

 pedition. 



" Knowing that the migrating flocks leave Old Castile, 

 which is the neighbourhood of Bilbao, in autumn, on 

 their journey to the confines of Portugal, where they spend 

 the winter, he conceived the utmost despatch to be 

 necessary lest they should have begun their journey 

 before the order could be executed. Fearing also that 



whenever Dr. D 's pamphlets, which Your Majesty 



has perused, fell into the hands of any well-informed 

 Spaniard, the prejudice of Spanish wool being subject to 

 degeneration which may have been raised by the French 

 for the purpose of obtaining the Sheep would be done 

 away, he is not sure but that he should have ordered a 

 large number. But he can by this night's post either 

 countermand those already ordered, if His Majesty's 

 pleasure, which he will be ever solicitous to obey, is 

 signified to him." 



The King to Sir Joseph Banks. 1 



" ST. JAMES'S, August 10, 1787. 



" The King is much hurt he was not apprized on 

 Tuesday last that Sir Joseph Banks was at Kew, (indeed, 

 he never heard of it till he received his note this day) as he 

 would have found time to have seen him. The King is 

 much pleased that two Rams and four Ewes are sent for, 



1 The original of this letter is in the collection of Mr. A. M. Broadley. 



