JACK'S LETTERS TO WALLICH, 1819-1821. 201 



Sir Stamford desires to be remembered. 



My very best regards to Mrs. Wallich, and believe me ever, 



My dear Wallich, 



Yours very sincerely, 



William Jack. 



'No. 2 Bencoolen, 



March 15th, 1520. 

 .'My dear Wallich, 



An event lias just taken place which you may have in some 



measure anticipated. Our Frenchmen 199 you know 



were taken up and brought forward by Sir S. Karnes 



in Calcutta, at a time when their means were exhausted, and 

 they despaired of being able to effect anything; and you know 

 with what kindness they have been treated, the important aid that 

 has been afforded them, the opportunities that have been opened 

 to them, in short the manner in which they have been patronised 

 by that princely man, as never men were patronised before. They 

 have been allowed 1000 rupees a month ever since they have been 

 with him, to defray all their expenses of establishments &c. &c. — ■ 

 besides being provided with passage, table, and here with a house 

 free of all expense. In return for all this, the only stipulation 

 made was, that their collections should be on account of the Com- 

 pany, and that the account of the discoveries they might make, 

 should not appear in France until they had been noticed in 

 England. It was Sir S's intention, and indeed still is, to have 

 ultimately presented to them a complete set of duplicates in fur- 

 ther acknowledgement of their services. To those conditions they 

 gave their full agreement in writing, and in words professed the 

 utmost gratitude for the liberal terms allowed them, and their 

 extreme desire to give everything into the absolute disposal of 

 Sir S. At the same time they were given to understand, that the 

 arrangement was made subject to the approbation of the Supreme 

 Govt., and that the period of their employment would be regu- 

 lated by that authority. The reply of the supreme Govt, was re- 

 ceived in Calcutta, disapproving of the arrangement, sanctioning 

 the expense already incurred, but directing it to cease for the 

 future. On our arrival here we found that they had been very 

 industrious, and had got a considerable number of animals of one 

 kind and another. As therefore they had exerted themselves, Sir 

 Stamford, with all the reason which you know he had to be dis- 

 contented with them before, felt unwilling to disappoint them in 

 any way, and resolved to make an exertion in their favor rather 

 than at once put a stop to their labours. He accordingly offered 

 them an allowance of 600 rupees a month out of his own pocket, 

 -on the chance of its eventually being approved by the Company; 



199. Diard and Duvaucel. 



R. A. Soc. No. 73, 1915. 



