314 SALE OF THE LINN.EAN COLLECTION. 



" At this time Baron Alstroemvr, claimed of the heirs of Lin- 

 «' NJEvs a debt, which the younger Lin n.cus owed him, and for which 

 " they agreed to give him a small herbarium, made by the said Lxn- 

 *' N^us during his fathers life, containing only duplicates of the great 

 " colle8ion, and not any of the plants he afterwards coUefted in his 

 " travels. On consideration of this they agreed to abate one hundred 

 " guineas of my purchase money. To all this I consented. I paid 

 half the money down, and the rest in three months, — and in October, 

 *' 1784, received the colleftion in twenty-six great boxes, perfettly safe. 



*' I paid eighty guineas to the captain for freight, which was too much 

 *' by half ; but I was careful to avoid all delay. For the ship had just sailed 

 " when the King 0/" Sweden returned, and hearing the story, he sent a vessel 

 " after the ship, to bring it back; but happily for me, it was too late. The 

 *' English government, in consequence of the application of my friend, 

 " Sir John Jervis, was very indulgent to me, in suffering the whole 

 « coUeftion to pass the custom-house without any examination or ex- 

 *« pence, except a slight duty on the books. 



" This is a true statement of the purchase. As to what Dr. Dahl 

 « has mentioned in his Observationes Botaniccc about a Mr. Mauhle. 

 *' I have authority to say, it is altogether false ; and if it had been true, it 

 " could not have prevented the collection coming away, unless the heirs 

 *' had a6ted dishonourably towards me. I do not wonder the Swedes 

 " are angry at losing such a treasure; but they ought to stick to truth; 



and I can at any time justify Dr. Acrel and myself by publishing 

 *« our whole correspondence. I have endeavoured, to do him some 

 ■*« justice in the dedication of my Keliquice Rudbeckianx. 



St. 



"The 



