THE BANKSIAN BOTANIST-LIBRARIANS. 
8l 
Ellis to Linnaeus. London. July \&lh. 1771. 
1 could no longer defer sending you the agreeable news of the arrival of Dr. 
Solander and Mr. Banks, from their voyage round the world, laden with spoils, 
particularly of the vegetable world, some few rare ones of the animal kingdom; 
but I do not hear much of the mineral kingdom. They were all very healthy 
till they got to Batavia, where a violent fever carried off almost half their ship’s 
crew. Dr. Solander has been very ill. but is now very well. 
They have made great discoveries in Geography; the account of their voyage 
will soon be published, but as to their Natural History, I fear I shall not live to 
see it. They have sufficient for one thousand folio plates. They unfortunately 
lost both their painters, but the last died between Batavia and the Cape, so that 
most of their rarest things were drawm, but not completely finished. 
They are so very busy getting their things on shore, and seeing their friends, 
after an absence of three years, that they have scarce time to tell us of anything 
but the many narrow escapes they have hul from imminent danger. I long to 
hear from you, and fear you have been ill, otherwise you would have wrote to me. 
Be so gootl to inform Dr. Solander’s friends of the success he has had in return- 
ing safe after so many perils, laden with the greatest treasure of Natural History 
that ever was brought into any country at one time by two persons. 
They came last from St. Helena, with eleven East Indiamen, who have, I hear 
brought a great many rare plants from China. 
I hope Dr. Solander will uTite to you soon himself ; I shall beg of him not to 
defer it.* 
New Burlington Street, October 8, 1771. 
Dr. Solander presents his and .Mr. Banks’ compliments, with many thanks for 
the loan of Plumier’s plants. 
Dr. Solander has sent inclosed some of the Gumbo or Sas.safras leaves, as they 
are called in Florida, where they are used in many different ways, chiefly with 
fish and rice. The ordinary way that people of fashion use them is in beef-broth, 
with onions, spinach, or calliloo, and Cayenne pepper; one teaspoonful to a pint. 
It must stand ten or twelve hours in cold water; then pour it backward and 
forward, for a minute, into different vessels; after this, mi.x it intimately with 
a pint of the liepior, and pour the whole into the pot, where it must not boil above 
a quarter of an hour.f 
Linnaeus to Ellis (Latin). Upsal, October '22, 1771. 
I hav'e just read, in some foreign newspapers, that o\ir friend Solander intends 
to revisit tho.se new countries discovered by .Mr. Banks and himself, in the ensuing 
spring. Tliis report has affected me so much as almost entirely to deprive me of 
sleep. How vain are the hopes of man. Whilst the whole botanical world, like 
myself, has been looking for the most transcendent benefits to our science from 
the unrivalled e.xertions of your countrymen, all their matchless and truly astonish- 
ing collection, such as has never been seen before, nor may ever be seen again, 
is to be put aside untouched, to be thrust into some corner, to become perhaps 
the prey of imsects ami of destruction. 
I have every day been figuring to myself the occupations of my pupil Solander, 
now {Hitting his collection in order, having first arranged and numbered his plants 
in parcels, according to the places where they were gathered, and then written 
ujion eaca specimen its native country, and approjiriate number. I then fancied 
hi n throwing the whole into classes; {Hitting aside, and naming, such as were already 
known ; ranging others under known genera, with specific differences ; and dis- 
tinguishing by new names and definitions such as formed new genera, with their 
• Corresp. : Linn bus, i, 263. 
t Ib„ ii, 12. 
F 
