Draft of a letter received by the Treasury from Banks, 25March 1800 (Series 19.36) - No. 0001

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Soho Square March 25 1800

Sir

in Obedience to the Commands of the Lords of Commissioners of the treas His majesties  treasury,  communicated to me in your Letter of June 22 1798, I proceeded immediately to provide such fruit trees, usefull plants and seeds as I found on Enquiry to be wanting in his majesty colony of New South Wales, as also the Tools necessary for a Gardiner, who had been engagd to take care of the garden without any allowance for so doing, on condition of  having his & his wives' passage provided for as settlers in that Colony. 
These plants etc were receivd on board his majesties ship Porpoise on the 20 October 1798; a I have since that time continued to correspond with the Gardiner G.Suttor respecting the management care of them, & have taken care to replace such as have died, during the delay, that took has taken place in the Equipment of this vessel  Enclosed is a list of the plants put on board is also an account of the moneys which in obedience  conformity to their Lordships Commands  orders I have expended on this business, from the perusal of which it will appear that Geo Suttor the Gardener has attended to his duty business  with a meritorious degree great diligence, as is evident from the very small loss that has happend among the Plants notwithstanding the severity of two successive hard winters to which they have been exposd & the various circumstances in which the ship has been plac'd   many of them particularly unfavourable for the  care preservation of Plants, I therefore take the Liberty recommending him to their Lordships for a small gratuity