•206 JACK'S LETTERS TO WALLICH, 1819-1821. 



and Duvaucel reported that a robbery had taken place the night 

 before, by which they had lost all their papers. A robbery of 

 nothing but papers looked a little suspicious, but no comment was 

 made. Yesterday however a man came in and reported that a box 

 had been seen among the grass near the house where the French- 

 men had been living, but that he was afraid to touch it for fear of 

 being accused of having stolen it. It was then sent for and brought 

 in to Sir S. while in Court, where lie happened to be sitting that 

 dav. It was a box securely nailed up, and well tarred outside and 

 at the joints. On opening it there appeared first a quantity of 

 tow. and then a quantity of papers rolled up and laid in as if 

 hastily packed : these proved to lie the Frenchmen's papers, who 

 were informed of the circumstance, and were somewhat surprised 

 at the coming to light of the precious deposit. The box was hand- 

 ed over to the Committee, to receive from the Frenchmen such part 

 of tlie contents as related to Natural History. They gave a few 

 scraps, and sketches, and gaye their word of honor that all the rest 

 were private papers. Unfortunately for the value of their word, 

 some of the rolls of paper had been looked at. and known to be des- 

 criptions and sketches, hut these were not delivered up, so that 

 they have given their word of honor to what the whole court know 

 to he untrue. So much for that part of it. As to the finding of 

 the box, from the place where it lay. untouched and unopened, the 

 way in which the papers were stowed, not laid in order as if it had 

 been their usual depositary, hut rolled up hastily as they came to 

 hand ; the way in which the box itself was secured with nails and 

 hammer, and further the box haying been recognised to have been 

 made only the very day before it was said to be missing, there 

 seems little doubt that it was lost where it could readily be found, 

 and that its discovery was a disappointment to those who had been 

 bewailing its loss. But I am sick of the subject: thank Heaycn, 

 Sir S. is done with them. Diard I understand is going to Batavia ; 

 and Duvaucel talks of going to Padang, to make, he says, in three 

 months, a better collection than that of Sir S. in a year. Diard 

 says he goes from Batayia to Calcutta. I think there is little to 

 apprehend from anything two such (what shall I call them) can 

 do. I have already told you to be prepared to meet any mis-state- 

 ments they may spread, for which purpose I have wasted so many 

 words on them. 



They having given over the collection without names or ob- 

 servations, or at least with very few, it becomes necessary to sup- 

 ply the deficiency and prepare an account of it for England. 

 "This task of course falls on me, and is no trifling one. As the 

 object is to have it out soon, I am obliged to devote myself to it, 

 and must therefore let my own pursuits stand still for a little. 



I have been at work for some days, and have got pretty well 

 through the Mammalia. It is a devil of a job, but there is no help- 



Jour. Straits Branch 



