Letter received by Banks from Robert Brown, December 1804 (Series 23.13) - No. 0001

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Sydney. N. S. Wales
Dec.r. 1804

Dear Sir

Since I writ to you, I have had the pleasure of receiving your Letter by H.M. Calcutta. & was made happy to find that I had your approbation of my proceedings, & that the Seeds sent by the Speedy Whaler had arriv'd in good condition.  

Long ere now the Collection, consisting of twelve puncheons of specimens & Plants & 4 boxes of seeds, sent by the Calcutta. must have arriv'd.  I sincerely hope in safety, tho'  not being on the spot myself, I am under some apprehensions for it.  The manner in which the specimens are arrang'd & still more the want of names, stand in need of repeated apologies:  In our situation however it was really impracticable to dispose them in any other manner, nor could the names (many of which are merely temporary) have been added without a very great loss of time:  I hope too that ere long I shall have it in my power in person to supply both these wants, which even without me can very easily be done from the small arrang'd & nam'd collection which I still retain for the purpose of finishing my observations & giving them a better chance of reaching England in safety.

The collection of Birds & of Minerals would have accompanied them had I been then here, but not being sufficiently securd  I could not venture to direct their being sent.  As to the seeds I fear many have sufferd by the delay & in some degree too from the dampness acquird, in their removal, from the wreck of the Porpoise.