THIRD JOURNEY. 205 



ing for Europe. I must here return my sincerest thanks 

 to this worthy gentleman for his many kindnesses to 

 me ; his friendship was of the utmost service to me, 

 and he never failed to send me supplies into the forest 

 by every opportunity. 



Embarks for I embarked for England, on board the 

 England. j)^ W est _ Indiamailj commanded by Cap- 

 tain Grey. 



Sir Joseph Banks had often told me, he hoped I 

 would give a lecture in public, on the new mode I had 

 discovered of preparing specimens in natural history for 

 museums. I always declined to do so, as I despaired 

 of ever being able to hit upon a proper method of doing 

 quadrupeds ; and I was aware that it would have been 

 an imperfect lecture to treat of birds only. I imparted 

 what little knowledge I was master of, at Sir Joseph's, 

 to the unfortunate gentleman who went to Africa to 

 explore the Congo ; and that was all that took place in 

 the shape of a lecture. Now that I had hit upon the 

 way of doing quadrupeds, I drew up a little plan on 

 board the Dee, which I trusted would have been of 

 service to naturalists ; and by proving to them the 

 superiority of the new plan, they would probably be in- 

 duced to abandon the old and common way, which is a 

 disgrace to the present age, and renders hideous every 

 specimen in every museum that I have as yet visited. 

 I intended to have given three lectures : one on insects 

 and serpents ; one on birds ; and one on quadrupeds. 

 But as it will be shortly seen, this little plan was 

 doomed not to be unfolded to public view. Illiberality 

 blasted it in the bud.* 



"We had a pleasant passage across the Atlantic, and 

 arrived in the Mersey in fine trim and good spirits. 



