SWEDISH ACTION FOR COLLECTIONS 349 
it must be to a foreigner, he was as willing as any 
other. 
It is certain that Acrel would not have been 
unwilling for the collections to remain in the country, 
if only the heirs had shown some strong desire on that 
point. He applied, probably in January, 1784, to the 
Secretary of State, E. Schroderheim, asking him to 
invite the King, then in Italy, to buy them. However, 
it is probable that the King never received any such 
application. 
Acrel applied yet to another person in Sweden, 
namely Baron C. Alstromer. In a letter dated 
26th January, 1784, he represented that the natural 
historian’s most enlightened Maecenas in Sweden 
should either permit the bereaved family to retain the 
small herbarium, which Linne the younger had 
promised, or, as the family considered far more desir¬ 
able, for Alstromer to buy the collection in their 
entirety, in order to prevent their falling into 
foreigners’ hands and thus arousing constant jealousy. 
This appeal was refused by Alstromer, because, on 
account of his failing health, he could not make as 
much use of it as he otherwise might do. This was 
further emphasized by Alstromer’s secretary, Student 
A. Dahl, that as the heirs would not accept 2,220 
riksdalers [^462 10s.], that is, less than half the sum 
which Smith was ready to give, Alstromer would not 
on any account abate his claim to the small herbarium. 
Alstromer was not content with this negative 
decision regarding the entire collections, but he sent 
Acrel’s letter to the Chancellor, Count G. P. Creutz, 
reiterating at the same time his view that the Linnean 
collections should be kept by the University. In 
consequence of this, the Chancellor’s Secretary, J. E. 
Noreen, requested Thunberg to state his opinion as to 
the value of the collections, and explain how the 
University should purchase them. Acrel, in May of 
the same year, seems to have applied to the Chancellor 
direct, but when he mentioned the sum that Smith had 
