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Soho Square London August 22nd 1804
Sir
I take the opportunity of Prince Pignatellis return to send to you the transactions of this Royal Society for the Institut
also a Parcel of the Transactions of the paris academy which I have received from their faculty with a letter from him. I am much indebted to the Prince for taking these Articles under his Protection, as I am sensible it must be a troublesome charge, because Mr Livingston to whom I prepard it when he left England declined to undertake it.
I beg my bretherens of the Institut will accept the sincere thanks of the Royal Society as well as my own for the Liberation of our fellow Mr Forbes, who arrived here in excellent health & full of gratitude to yourself who have effectively pleaded the cause of Science & establish a precedent in his case, which no doubt will continue in use among all civilised nations
Mr Ferguson who is also so deeply indebted to the institut has not yet experienced the completion of the good offices intended him, I need not however bring their circumstances to the memory of my friends, as I am certain it will not escape their frequent recollections.
Another case however has occurred in that I am again under the necessity of Soliciting the Powerfull interference of your most respectable body in favour of Capt Flinders Commander of H.B.M Ship Investigator, who was sent on the business of discovery in 1801 & had the good fortune to meet both M. Baudin & M. Hamelin in New Holland while they were employed in the execution of a similar undertaking.
His Ship prov'd so deficient owing to the decay of some of her timbers, that it was necessary to condemn her in Port Jackson before the Commander had finished the research he was instructed to make, he therefore embarked on board another vessel, the Porpoise, in order to return home & solicit for another vessel the means of continuing his Discovery, leaving behind him the men of Science who had accompanied him to Sydney.
This vessel & another in company were unfortunately wrecked in the same moment on Reefs between New Holland & New Caledonia which I have always believed to have been the case with the unfortunate much lamented