OFFICIAL SECRECY TRANSGRESSED 143 
them home at all, and that did it come to his ears I should 
not so soon hear the end of it. Nothing but affection for 
you all prompted me to make them, it was a pleasure to me 
to do so, although my conscience told me that I was not 
acting properly to an Expedition whose orders I have often 
told you are ' all journals, charts, drawings, &c.' to be given 
up. That it will now come to Captain Ross's ears there 
can be no doubt, I have difficulty enough in weathering him 
who know him well, I must however blame myself for send- 
ing them at all. If you have made Davis's drawing of the 
ships in the Pack also to be known ' far and wide ' you will 
run every chance of doing him a serious injury who is 
dependent on the service. Again, a midshipman from the 
Philomel, a youngster of the name of Fox, comes up to me 
on a cricket ground where I was enjoying a little exercise 
with the Philomels after the General Halkett sailed and tells 
me he has heard my letters read in Dublin by his Aunt 
and Mrs. Butler, some relations of some one of the name of 
* Innes.' Who these Foxes, Butlers, and Innes are I do not 
know nor care, but my letters were never written to be made 
so public or to leave the house further than Yarmouth or 
Hampstead, nor do I choose to be the gossip of half the 
friends' friends who may like to see them. My own wishes 
with regard to them have been expressed often enough, and 
surely I am old enough to know my own mind on such 
matters ; they were written for my near relations alone, 
and contain such messages to others as are requisite for them 
to know ; my repugnance to any such notoriety is so strong 
that if these wishes cannot be complied with I must give 
up writing anything but simple statements. You may 
remember that I was always very averse to any society but 
that of persons whose pursuits were similar to mine, and 
more particularly to that of four-fifths of our Glasgow and 
other friends with whom my parents, brother and sisters 
were on terms of intimacy ; this may be owing to a peculiar 
temperament of mine or more probably to a fault ; still 
I cannot help it, and care to be known by few but Botanists 
and men of Science. With them my own industry must 
introduce me, and what other real friends I have I can write 
to. Do not be angry with me for writing the above ; as 
a duty to myself it was in my opinion necessary for me to 
