SOME FRIENDS OF LATER YEARS 291 



kelyne, Mr. Dalrymple, Major Rennell, Dr. Blagden, 

 Dr. Herschell, Mr. Plant a, and others. My reception 

 was so kind and encouraging as to remove at once all 

 feeling of constraint or sense of my own inferiority ; 

 and I was led to take an active part in a conversation, 

 to me of an interesting nature. . . . My desire of furnish- 

 ing some account of the island in which I had resided 

 was strongly encouraged Sumatra being, as they ob- 

 served, of all accessible places in the world, that which 

 was least known. After taking leave, I received from the 

 President a cordial invitation to meet him and his 

 friends whenever it might suit my convenience, and to 

 make free use of his books either in the library or at 

 home. Until 1795, when I ceased to have the command 

 of my own time, the rooms in Soho Square were my 

 habitual place of resort, where I met a variety of persons, 

 and acquired information of what was going forward 

 in the world of Literature and Science." 



Marsden's History of Sumatra was published in 1782. 

 This book gave him a reputation which adheres to his 

 name to this very day. It established his position in the 

 society he had chosen, and gave him credit for a general 

 ability which ultimately found resource in official life. 

 In 1795 he entered the Board of Admiralty and later 

 became Principal Secretary, until ill-health obliged him 

 to resign his post in 1807. For another quarter of a 

 century Mr. Marsden led a life of quiet happiness, one of 

 the leaders of cultured society. His association with Sir 

 Joseph Banks was of the closest and most friendly 

 character, as is evidenced by the flying short epistles 

 to one another on all conceivable topics. Often was 

 Marsden requested to take Banks's vacant place at the 

 Royal Society. 



The successor of Marsden as Secretary to the Board of 

 Admiralty was John Barrow, another product of that 

 stirring Age ; when rewards of the highest distinction 



