32 HISTORY OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 
Road, and I am enabled to print it here through the courtesy of 
the Keeper of the Botanical Department of the Museum :-— 
John Mackay to Robert Brown.' 
Dear Sir,—It gave me very great pleasure indeed when I heard 
of your appointment to so respectable a situation as the one | 
now take the liberty to congratulate youin. The particulars of the 
expedition I have not yet heard, but understands it is to be a 
very complete one. Sufficiently sensable of your merits and 
ardour I have not a doubt of your fulfilling your part in the best 
manner, and sincerely hope it will turn out to a good account 
both for yourself and the country. Will we not have the pleasure 
of seeing you here before you depart, or will you find a leisure 
hour to write me some of the news which will be highly grati- 
fying? In my present situation I feel myself interested in 
everything relating to Botany, and more stimulus than formerly. 
The Edin. B. Garden you know has been much neglected, but 
every endeavour will now be exerted to raise it to that pitch of 
Eminence it ought to hold among the British Gardens. We 
have had very considerable additions to our collection both of 
In-ligenous and Exotic plants, and may we not hope to profit 
by your acquisitions. I have not given up the minute tribes, 
though for some time past I have had many avocations. I 
made a trip to the north last season, when I saw our friend G. 
Donn ; he is still as keen as ever in our favourite pursuit and is 
adding to his collection. 
I have often wished to have heard of you since I had the 
pleasure of seeing you here. The only account I had of you for 
a long while was through our worthy friend Dr. Walker,? but 
about that time he was seized with a pain in his eyes which I 
am afraid he will never get the better of, preventing him answer- 
ing your letter and also me seeing the specimens you sent him. 
He is still very fond of Botanical news. Mrs. Walker was also 
poorly, but is now much better. 
You will likely have seen Mr. Jameson’s? publications ; he is 
now in Germany studying under Werner. 
: The letter is undated, but its terms show that it was written shortly after 
Mackay’s appointment to the Edinburgh Garden, in 1800, and the congratu- 
lations it conveys refer without doubt to Brown’s appointment as 
Naturalist to Flinder’s Expedition (1801-05). 
* Professor of Natural History in the University of Edinburgh, 1779- 
1804.—/. B. B. 
* Professor of Natural History in the University of Edinburgh, 1804- 
1850.—/. B. B. ae 
