i8p> Canova ; Sir James E. Smith 247 



The attendance at the Club in the autumn months had 

 now become remarkably small. The records do not show 

 for what number of persons commons were provided during 

 that season, but it is fairly evident that for weeks together 

 the actual attendance must have fallen short of that number, 

 thus entailing a considerable demand on the Fund. This 

 year from the end of August till the 26th October, the largest 

 number present at any dinner was five, and this number 

 was reached only once. On most occasions there were only 

 two or three, once only one, and once none at all. Yet, 

 when we think of the strain of the long wars on the Con- 

 tinent and at sea, the heavy taxation, the rise in the cost 

 of food which reduced the poorer part of the population 

 almost to starvation, the destructive outbreaks of the 

 Luddites and the dangerous food riots in many parts of 

 the country, we may be surprised that the Club should have 

 kept up its meetings as it actually did. At last, however, 

 the year of the final fall of Napoleon had now arrived, 

 and with the coming of peace an era of calm national 

 development might be looked for. 



As a welcome variation in the prolonged absence of 

 foreigners from the meetings of the Club two strangers 

 from over-sea made their appearance this year. On Nov- 

 ember Qth Sir Humphry Davy brought Canova to the 

 " Crown and Anchor." The great Italian sculptor had been 

 sent from Rome to France to endeavour to reclaim for 

 Italy some of the priceless works of art which had been 

 transferred from that country to Paris. He took occasion 

 of the opportunity to pay a visit to England. 



M. Jaume-Saint-Hilaire who dined with the Club on 

 March Qth was a French botanist who devoted himself 

 to improving the agriculture of his native country, and 

 was the author of a large number of papers, tracts and 

 volumes on botanical and agricultural subjects. 



On May 4th Sir Joseph Banks introduced to the Club 

 " Sir James Smith." There can be little doubt that this 

 was Sir James Edward Smith who had studied medicine 

 at Edinburgh, but with the encouragement of Banks gave 



