| RefNo | CB/1/1/160 |
| AltRefNo | BLA.B.77 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from Sir Joseph Banks, Soho Square to Charles Blagden |
| Date | 28 September 1819 |
| Description | Has sent a box of living plants to Countess Rumford and to M Carrée three fruits of sweet calabash or passion fruit from his garden in Lincolnshire. Sir William Congreve has just taken a patent for increasing the power of fire by making it from lime, will send his pamphlet if the discovery is real. Will not meddle with the tables but will be glad to see Kater's papers with his opinion of French timepieces. Thanks Blagden for sending copy of 'Don Juan' [by Lord Byron] : "I have never read so lascivious a performance no women here will confess that she has read it we hitherto considered his Lordship only an atheist without much morals we now must add to his respectable qualifications that of being a profligate". Humboldt doesn't credit the Chinese for decimal reckoning he "votes the Hindus to be more ancient". Discusses manufacture of artificial diamonds and the late Davey who excelled in that art. London is less populous with the wealthy retiring to the country and the less well off to France "they call Bologne Newgate, Calais King's Bench and Bruxelles they denominate Botany Bay". "The mobbing of our manufacture appears to be on the decrease". Has had no news of Richie. Heard rumours of the failure of Major Gray's expedition in the Gambia. The discovery ships were sighted by a whale in 74.30 on 19 July. Has made modifications to the pavement under the gateway of the RS so that they hear the coaches no more. |
| Extent | 1 sheet |
| Format | Manuscript |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| RelatedMaterial | Item 342, The Banks Letters, A Calendar of the manuscript correspondence of Sir Joseph Banks preserved in the British Museum... London, 1958. |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8116 | Banks; Sir; Joseph (1744 - 1820); naturalist | 1744 - 1820 |