160 Presidentship of Sir Joseph Banks 1783 



However, this Club improved much on better acquaintance, and 

 during my stay in London I frequented it very much. Here, for 

 the first time, I found some advantage from having written, two 

 years before this, a paper in the Philosophical Transactions. I was 

 considered, at least, as a man of some industry, and perhaps the 

 title of a ' Dissertation on Impossible Quantities, ' conveyed to many 

 people there an idea of depth much beyond the reality. 



" Here I found Mr. Smeaton and Mr. Aubert, the latter a very 

 polite man, and a great consolation to a stranger, amid the inatten- 

 tion of the English philosophers. He is of a French family, a great 

 lover of astronomy, and possessed of the best set of astronomical 

 instruments that belongs, perhaps, to any private man." . . 



" Mr. Cavendish is a member also of this meeting. He is of an 

 awkward appearance, and has certainly not much of the look of 

 a man of rank. He speaks likewise with great difficulty and hesita- 

 tion, and very seldom. But the gleams of genius break often through 

 this unpromising 'exterior. He never speaks at all but that it is 

 exceedingly to the purpose, and either brings some excellent in- 

 formation, or draws some important conclusion. His knowledge 

 is very extensive and very accurate ; most of the members of the 

 Royal Society seem to look up to him as to one possessed of talents 

 confessedly superior ; and, indeed, they have reason to do so, for 

 Mr. Cavendish, so far as I could see, is the only one among them 

 who joins together the knowledge of mathematics, chemistry and 

 experimental philosophy." 1 



1783. The General Meeting of the year 1783, held on July 

 3ist, was attended by nineteen members, Sir Joseph Banks 

 presiding. The expenses since the last Anniversary were 

 stated to be 4 ios., of which sum 3 12s. was due to absentees, 

 and there remained in the Treasurer's hands an unexpended 

 sum of 26 ios. i id. The death of Sir James Burrow was 

 announced. He had heen knighted in 1773 in recognition 

 of his public services. His decease left Dr. William Watson 

 as the sole survivor of the little band which in 1743 

 started the Club and had watched so assiduously over its 

 prosperity. The vacancy caused by Sir James's death was 

 filled by the election of Peter Holford. This gentleman 



1 Works, vol. i. Appendix Ixxxii-lxxxiv. Mr. Playfair dined twelve 

 times with the Club this summer. He was introduced first by Solander, 

 next by Smeaton, five times by the Treasurer, W. Russell, four times by 

 Dalrymple and once by Aubert. It was obviously the desire of these 

 members to show him every attention. The foreigners whom he met 

 during the year were Dr. Hollingburg, Professor Linne, M. de Vigneulle, 

 and Dr. Dryander. 



