138 Presidentship of Sir John Pringle 1776 



He was born in the Grisons (1744), came with his father to 

 London, and eventually succeeded him as assistant librarian 

 at the British Museum. He was this year promoted to be 

 keeper of manuscripts in that institution, and in 1799 

 became principal librarian. He had been elected into the 

 Royal Society in February 1774. 



No foreign guests of special distinction appeared at the 

 dinners of the Club this year. Omai, still an object of 

 interest, came several times in the first half of the year. 

 The President, who obviously had a liking for what have 

 been called " sensational exhibits/' brought with him on 

 28th March Thayendanegea, a Mohawk chief. Sir James 

 Porter introduced Baron Neny, probably the eminent Belgian 

 minister at whose house the literary society met out of which 

 grew the Royal Academy of Brussels. A fortnight later 

 Boswell met this foreigner, whom he describes as " a Flemish 

 nobleman of great rank and fortune," and whom he intro- 

 duced to David Garrick. 



The English guests were numerous and varied in their 

 quality. Captain Cook dined eight times in the first half 

 of the year. The second Viscount Palmerston dined with 

 the Club on 29th February and was elected a Fellow of the 

 Royal Society in the following November. On the i8th 

 April General Paoli and his enthusiastic admirer Boswell 

 were guests. Sir James Hall, the father of Experimental 

 Geology, and the intimate friend of Hutton and Playfair, 

 was twice brought to the Club by the President. Among 

 the other visitors may be mentioned Sir William Hamilton, 

 of Neapolitan, Vesuvian and Etnean reputation ; Robert 

 Mylne, the well-known architect and engineer ; Dr. John 

 Roebuck, who among his other inventions founded the 

 Carron iron-works, famous for their manufacture of ordnance 

 and iron-work of all kinds ; Colonel Charles Vallancey, 

 antiquary and officer of engineers, who became F.R.S. in 

 1786 ; Sir Robert Barker of the East India Company's 

 service, who had been provincial commander-in-chief in 

 Bengal and was a member of Parliament ; Lord Hampden, 

 formerly Minister at the Hague, subsequently Commissioner 



