and if you be going through Oxford, it will, I dare say, be well 

 worth your while to take a view of them/' 



When we had finished our refreshment, we left our kindly com- 

 municative hostess ; but not, as you might suppose, with any in- 

 tention of immediately visiting the Museum of the University. On 

 the contrary, we were aware, that, without some previous knowledge 

 of the objects, which are there exhibited, the examination of them 

 could not yield much satisfaction ; but would serve, merely, to ex- 

 cite that curiosity, which it was not able to gratify. We have there- 

 fore settled it, that our visit to the Museum shall be deferred, until 

 we are enabled to view its interesting contents with that satisfac- 

 tion, which can only be yielded, when we possess some knowledge 

 of the objects we contemplate. 



Thus, at our very outset, have T experienced a considerable dis- 

 appointment. The objects I have already seen, and which I have 

 reason to expect I shall frequently meet with, have convinced me, 

 that I am totally ignorant of the science, which teaches us their na- 

 tural history : and also that, without this knowledge, the pleasure 

 of my journies must be very much diminished. How mortifying will 

 it be to have objects presented daily to my view, whose forms alone 

 render them highly interesting, and whose history is most probably 

 fraught with entertainment ; and to find myself so totally ignorant 

 of their origin, as not even to know in what class of nature's works 

 to place them. 



You, I know, have long made this branch of natural history your 

 particular study : and I have been informed, that you possess a col- 

 lection of valuable specimens of these substances^ which it has ne- 

 ver occurred to me to request the inspection of. To you, therefore, 

 I confidently apply ; and earnestly intreat you to supply me with a 

 regular, and systematic history of these strangely figured substan- 

 ces, to understand the nature of which, I am impelled by the most 

 eager desire. The petition I am making will, I trust, be favourably 



