Letter received by Banks from John Haygarth, 29 August 1804 (Series 72.087) - No. 0001

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Bath 29th Aug. 1804

Dear Sir

I hope that I am not going to take an improper liberty in requesting that you would kindly solicit a particular favour for a very respectable literary friend of mine, Dr. Wickham one of Ratcliffe's travelling Fellows has been detained as a prisoner at Geneva ever since the commencement of the war.  He has been informed that Mr. Forbes F.R.S. who was in the same unfortunate situation, has obtained his liberty in consideration of his being a man of science.  It is very well known that the Ratcliffe travelling Fellows are sent by the University of Oxford to visit foreign countries for the special purpose