THIRD JOURNEY. 



205 



ing for Europe. I must here return my sincerest thanks 

 to this worthy gentleman for his many kindnesses to 

 me ; his friendship was of the utmost service to me, 

 and he never failed to send me supplies into the forest 

 by every opportunity. 



Embarks for I embarked for England, on board the 

 England. j^ ee West-Jndiaman, commanded by Cap- 

 tain Grey. 



Sir Joseph Banks had often told me, he hoped I 

 would give a lecture in public, on the new mode I had 

 discovered of preparing specimens in natural history for 

 museums. I always declined to do so, as I despaired 

 of ever being able to hit upon a proper method of doing 

 quadrupeds ; and I was aware that it would have been 

 an imperfect lecture to treat of birds only. I imparted 

 what little knowledge I was master of, at Sir Joseph's, 

 to the unfortunate gentleman who went to Africa to 

 explore the Congo ; and that was all that took place in 

 the shape of a lecture. Xow that I had hit upon the 

 way of doing quadrupeds, I drew up a little plan on 

 board the Dee, which I trusted would have been of 

 service to naturalists ; and by proving to them the 

 superiority of the new plan, they would probably be in- 

 duced to abandon the old and common way, which is a 

 disgrace to the present age, and renders hideous every 

 specimen in every museum that I have as yet visited, 

 I intended to have given three lectures : one on insects 

 and serpents ; one on birds ; and one on quadrupeds. 

 But as it will be shortly seen, this little plan was 

 doomed not to be unfolded to public view. Illiberality 

 blasted it in the bud. 



We had a pleasant passage across the Atlantic, and 

 arrived in the Mersey in fine trim and good spirits. 



