JACK'S LETTEES TO WALLICH, 1819-1821. 213 



Bencoolen, 



9th September, 1820. 

 ^Ly dear Wallich, 



I have just received your letter of the 7th of June No. 3, 

 but have no tidings of Xo. 1. I begin to fear it may be lost in 

 .some of the dreadful gales that occurred in March and April. As 

 your two last letters have been brief, I conclude that it must have 

 been long and full, if so, it will be most melancholy to find that 

 it has gone to the bottom where " All its hidden treasures " sleep 

 known but to the genii of the deep who (d-n their eyes) will be 

 none the wiser. Pray recapitulate the contents thereof, and men- 

 tion whether it had any accompaniments. I am without informa- 

 tion from you on a number of interesting points, such as the 

 particulars of your arrangements for your trip, and during your 

 absence, your notes and observations on the specimens e multis 

 eteeteris. — I see you have been able to make some use of them in 

 the second vol. of Roxburgh. I will presently give you a few re- 

 marks on some of these and as you are going on so briskly, I must 

 make haste to send you such further remarks, as may eventually 

 be useful to you in this chapter. 



I sent you a few printed descriptions by the " Frolic," which 

 left this some time ago. 



The .concluding paragraph of your letter respecting George, 2 - 1 

 depend upon it shall be fully complied with. I am glad you have 

 written yourself to my father, and be assured I shall follow it up. 



I am sadly out of spirits with some late news from home, the 

 most grievous however of which I, as yet, have only from the public 

 papers, I mean, the death of my valued friend Sir Yicarv Gibbs. 222 

 I have at this moment on my table a letter from Lady Gibbs which 

 I must answer: hers is long antecedent to this event, and in what 

 terms to reply I know not. It is terrible to think how my circle 

 of friends has been narrowed in the short time that has elapsed 

 since I left home, and the fatality has fallen more among those 

 which my personal connection was the most intimate with, than 

 among relations, whom from less personal intercourse, I cannot 

 be warmly attached to. 



221. George Charles Wallich, born in 1S16, Jack's " romping young 

 friend' ' of the letter printed on p. 167. He was now being sent to school. 

 It is evident from a later letter that WaUieh, through Jack, sought the 

 advice of Jack's father, in regard to the boy's schooling. He was educated 

 in Scotland, taking an M.D. in Edinburgh. 



222. Sir Yicary Gibbs, (1751-1820), who in a large measure ob- 

 tained for Jack his appointment under the East India Company. Sir 

 Yicary was a judge of the most solid eminence, a native of Devon, and 

 not attached to Jack by other ties than friendship. His life may be gather- 

 ed from the Dictionary of National Biography vol. xxi. 



R. A. Soc. No. 73, 1916. 



