THE BANKSIAN BOTANIST-LIBRARIANS. 
85 
bad weather, I begged Solander to let me look at the specimens which they had 
preserved in papers, and was so fortunate as to find several seed vessels perfectly 
sound and full of ripe seeds. I have got some of them from him, and given them 
to our best gardeners, and have examined them in the microscope, and find the 
germ in the seed perfectly sound. I suppose you will have some sent you in your 
specimens. I find seed vessels will preserve their seeds a very long time.* * * § 
The most curious animal that I think they have brought home is the skin of a 
four-footed beast, like the Jlus Jacidus, or Jerboa, described in Edwards. It 
seems to be about three feet and a half high, standing on its hind legs. It weighed 
(if I remember right) 80 pounds, and was too swift for their greyhounds, so that 
they w'ere obliged to shoot it. I think they say it differs from the Mus Jaculus, 
but I shall enquire of Solander more particularly about it.f They have added 
very little to my Zoophytes; and could not distinguish the animal of the Tuhipora, 
though the rocks were covered with it. It was covered over with a mucilage ; 
but they at that time had their lives to think of, by endeavouring to get the ship 
off the rocks. J 
Garden to Ellis. \0th December, 1772. 
What is become of Banks and Solandef ? What is become of all their immense 
collections, I think they must greatly encrease the animal and vegetable kingdoms 
in new genera ; surely these new countries must have many yet unknown pro- 
ductions.§ 
The same to the same, \iith May, 1773. 
Allow me again to enquire after Messrs. Banks and Solander; are we to have 
any account of their voyage, or collections and observations ?|| 
Solander to Ellis. London, October 9, 1773. 
Many thanks for the last. At my return to town I met with Mr. Aiton, who 
told me that he had procured Mr, Taylor ripe fruits of the coffee; and that if he 
had known you yourself had wanted any, he could have procured you some from 
Gunnersbury, where they now have pulled all the ripe fruit ; but he thinks that 
there are still some unripe ones on the tree ; if they come to perfection, he will 
send you them. 
The French have not been so successful in their visits to the New Zealanders 
as we were. Monsieur .Marion was sent out from Old France, a little after our 
return, to visit New Holland and New Zealand. In January, 1772, he visited 
the southern parts of New Holland, but did not like the inhabitants; he, there- 
fore, proceeded to New Zealand, where, after he had passed through the channel 
between Cape Maria Van Diemen and the island of Three Kings, he at last 
anchored in a bay which we call Motuaro, or Bay of Islands, within 6 miles of our 
anchoring place. 
There, I suppose, he ventured on shore, without previous alliance, and the 
consequence was, that he himself and twenty-five of his men were killed, and in 
all probability afforded the inhabitants a good meal. This discouraged the rest 
so much, that they matle the best of their way to ^Manilla, from whence this 
intelligence was sent by one of the surviving officers. 
-My best compliments to the ladies, and Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, Mr. Depon- 
thieu, &c.* 
• Correip. : Linneus. i, pp. 2?ti-7. 
t This was the now well-known Kangaroo. 
I Correjp. : Linnjeus, i, 279. 
§ Ib„ 592. 
Ib., 595. 
•: lb., ii. 13. 
