ICELANDIC AFFAIRS 247 



mercy of the stronger party, and Danish ships fell into the 

 hands of English prize-courts. 



One day, in October, Sir Joseph Banks had a doleful 

 letter from Magnus Stephensen, relating his capture on 

 the way to Copenhagen when on board an Iceland trader ; 

 ignorant of the new misunderstanding between England 

 and Denmark. After being conveyed prisoner of war to 

 Leith, he was presently allowed to go back to Copenhagen 

 in a British warship. But the owner of the prize, together 

 with his wife and family and servants, remained utterly 

 destitute. This was followed by a letter from Dr. William 

 Wright, of Edinburgh, an old friend of Banks, who im- 

 plored his help. The Edinburgh folk had opened a sub- 

 scription for the Icelanders. Further, there was a ship 

 detained at Cork, and another at Yarmouth. Later on, 

 a vessel was driven into Stornoway by contrary winds and 

 detained. All these unlucky mariners were writing and 

 interviewing Sir Joseph Banks during the winter. Al- 

 though suffering badly from gout, he not only devoted 

 himself to their relief, but liberally helped them from his 

 purse. 



Lord Hawkesbury to Sir Joseph Banks. 



" November 29, 1807. 



" MY DEAR SIR, I return you Mr. Stephensen 's letter. 

 I have communicated it to the King's servants, and they 

 are of opinion that you should have some further com- 

 munication with him ; with a view of ascertaining 

 whether through him or any other channel, the island 

 of Iceland could be secured to His Majesty, at least 

 during the continuance of the present war. In that case 

 the Fisheries and the Trade of Iceland would be pro- 

 tected ; and I should hope that we might be able to ob- 

 tain the services of some of their mariners. There will 

 be no objection, as a measure of conciliation, to releasing 

 the few Icelanders' ships which are at Leith." 



