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Calcutta June 8. 1803.
To Sir Joseph Banks Bar.t M.P.
Honourd Sir
We collectively beg leave to inform you of our Proceedings since we have been in this Country, we all of us have experienced a very bad State of health for some time past. We shall now proceed to inform you of our proceedings, respecting the intended purpose for which you was pleasd to send us here for in order to cultivate Hemp. On the 6.th of Decr 1801 Dr. Roxborough [Dr William Roxburgh] planted some of the Seed that was sent out in another Ship, the Quantity did not exceed thirty Gallons, but we never had it in charge, therefore could not make the Experiments ourselves. The doctor ordered some of the Seed to be Planted, & he informed us that the Seed had been in the Ground nine days & had not made its appearance, on the contrary the Gardener informd us that the Seed had been in the ground more than four days, which inducd us to raise some of the ground & in so doing we to our agreable [agreeable] surprise found that the Seed had taken Root & promised fair for great success, after this we left the Garden being well convincd that Dr. Roxburgh did not wish to give us that encouragement that we had a right to expect, nor have we been sufferd to make any further progress with respect to the Cultivation.
Honord Sir we think our case a very hard one being sent from our Native Country in hopes by our industry to gain a competency in a few Years, instead of which we are lingering away our Valuable time - upon a bare allowance of fifty Rupees per Month which is not sufficient to support us.- We continue to experience a bad state of health, & we are sorry to
Recd April 26 1804