Copy of a letter received by John Pitt, later Lord Chatham, from Banks, 7 March 1791 (Series 49.03) - No. 0001

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March 7  1791                          

My Lord
                   as Your Lordship has done me the honor of Communicating H.M. intentions of employing a ship this year with purpose of bringing the Bread fruit tree etc from the E to the W Indies, I take the Liberty to remind Your Lordship that the season for such an equipment is now  [indecipherable]                               in order to succeed the ship should arrive at Otaheite at the latter end of the dry season in time to get solely & quietly moord within the reefs before the storms which attend  the wet season commence & to do this she ought to sail in the month of May at the very farthest                                                                      if it is intended that the Commander should explore the  passage between new South wales & new guinea which on account of the commerce between the settlement at Port Jackson & the E Indies is now become of the utmost consequence it may be expedient to allow him a tender of 50 or 60 long bothe with about 30 hands