302 HISTORY OF THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN. 
Mr. Hoffland = Mrs. Hoffland! are Both well and often 
Enquiring after 
Mr. Addington ae Mr. Ayton are still at Kew Palace in the same 
Capacity as they were. The Palace is still going forward But far 
from Being Finished. 
I am, 
Kew, April 29th 1806, 
My Dear Friend,—As this opportunity offers I have taken up my 
pen to write you a "few lines alt though I have got nothing very par- 
ticular nor interesting, yet I thought it might be some satisfaction to 
hear from the Place where you have spent many an hour in; and the 
acquaintance that you have spent many an hour with. I wrote you 
last year when the Plants went which you have Received Before 
this Time I hope. In that letter I mentioned Every thing that I 
ought was worth mentioning since that period there is nothing 
very particular taken 
Most of your acquaintance is at Kew that was at it at that time, 
and most of your other acquaintance which was gone Before that 
time are much in the same way as they were in then. I still 
first Collection as they c very go reservation an 
owing very fine. The ent. Collection Eee bad management 
in Bringing homie} was not in so good a state, but many of them are 
growing very well; but bom Aiton will mention the Particulars 
Respecting them in His let 
I am sorry to say that Mr.  Masson® (who has sorts ie many things 
to Kew) is no more. He n Quebeck last win 
Mr. Aiton and Mr. J = = and the rest of os laaily are all 
well, they are none of them married yet. Your old acquaintance 
Mr. Richardson is married, he married the Housekeeper at Lord 
1 The parents of Thomas Christopher Hofland (1777-1843), the landscape painter, 
who was Sergeant in the Kew Volunteers. In this connection young McNab and the 
other members of the Kew staff would come in contact with him. But it is probable 
that William McNab had a closer tie with ee and indeed may have been his first 
cousin. Miss McNab informs me that she eason to believe that Elizabeth 
man, mother of Wm. McNab, was a cohen or ‘the Mrs. Hofland referred to in 
this sedis and mother of the artist. Certainly there was a continuous close intimacy 
between the McNabs and Hoflands, and a portrait of Hofland, painted by himself, 
is now in possession of Miss McNab. 
* There is no evidence as to what was in his mind at this time, but in corres 
with his brother John, who was farming in Ayrshire—Miss McNab has kindly allowed 
me to see the letters—McNab several times refers to his desire to leave Kew 
® Francis Masson (1741-1805 or 6). See Britten and Boulg., Bibliog. Index. 
