C 34 3 



by being kept there a full month, without any 

 care whatever, not receiving the leaft fprinkling 

 of water, whilft the Thames flowed within twenty 

 yards of their prifon. This does not refult from 

 any malicious defign of the officers, who in their 

 vigilance to prevent fmuggling, thus occafion the 

 lols of property, that might not only gratify 

 laudable curiolity, but enrich our poffeffions 

 with new products of importance in food, or 

 arts. At this moment I am fufFering under the 

 injury that a collection of Afiatic infers have 

 fuftained, of which I do not expect, to receive 

 one in a perfect, ftate. 



Apian might be adopted, not only to obviate 

 this painful inconvenience, but at the fame time 

 encreafe rather than leffen the revenue, by 

 giving power to the commiffioners of the cuftoms 

 to appoint gentlemen of tafte and knowledge in 

 natural hiftory, whofe valuation of fuch fubje&s 

 fhall govern the duties, which are,ufually taken 

 advalorem ; and on payment, that the proprietors 

 be permitted to remove their property at plea- 

 fure. That gentlemen might be found to make 

 thefe valuations gratuitoufly I doubt not ; and 

 as to the revenue on fuch fubjecls, I know it 

 would not fuffer, for many things are, at prefent, 

 not only fpoiled or totally deftroyed, but much 

 undervalued by ignorant perfons, many proofs 

 of which I have in my recollection. 



When the naturalift is in fearch of vegetable 

 productions, different foils and fituations mould 

 be examined ; as the fea, and its mores, deep 

 limning waters, dikes, marines, moors, moun- 

 tains, 



