238 THROUGH THE FIELDS WITH LINN^US 



were to travel through them they might be properly 

 described ; but, to my misfortune, the people there are 

 totally ignorant of natural history.' 



Ellis has just met Solander at the British Museum, 

 who assures him and Linnaeus that he never received 

 certain letters. 



It appears there had arisen some doubts of So- 

 lander's honourable behaviour to Linnaaus ; which were 

 satisfactorily settled by-and-by. 



Ellis writes in December 1766: 'It is very odd 

 that notwithstanding we have had fifteen ships from 

 China this year we have not had one tea-tree brought 

 home alive . . . We every day see a superiority in 

 the Swedes over the other European nations. All 

 your people that appear among us are polite, well- 

 bred, and learned, without the vanity of the French, 

 the heaviness of the Dutch, or the impudence of the 

 Germans. 5 1 



Ellis to Linnceus. 



Feb. 1767. 



4 The insolent manner in which Pallas treats us will 

 make me exert myself to show him that he is not in- 

 fallible.' 



Linnaeus to Ellis. 



Jan. 1767. 



' My tea-plant is alive, but has not flowered, nor 

 does it seem to bear our climate so well as heretofore. 



1 Ellis and Linnaeus both loathe the ' German plagiary '(Pallas ?) 

 as mean and dishonourable. 



