Letter received by Banks from Joseph Colebrooke, 22 April 1772 (Series 06.114) - No. 0001

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Dear Sir

Talking with Dr Solander on Monday about Colouring the figures of Plants after Nature, (a work I have long been engaged in,) I told Him that I had found a white that would stand without changing colour as flake white, & all preparations from minerals when used as water colours are apt to do, as this maybe of some use to you in our collection of the figures of Plants, in your intended Voyage for the Discovery & improvement of Natural History, I take the Libery to send it to you as I promised Dr Solander I would;

I have made many combinations of Blue & yellow to find a good green, but not with such success as I had reason to Hope, of Blues the Prussian (of which there are many shades from a light skye blue to a deep Garter blue,) is most likely to succeed when mixed with Dutch Pink which is a bright yellow, Gamboge is apt to turn Brown, & Indigo tho' refined, is not equal to the Prussian blue for Colour, Kings yellow hath some mineral in it & turns black;

You will excuse my troubling you with this, but as you must trust to drawings for the Colour of Plants, I imagined that the results of experiments I have made on water Colours, you would not think useless, nor impertinent:

I am with Great Respect 
Dear Sir
Your very Humble
Servt
Josh: Colebrooke

Budge Row
April 22 1772
Prussian Blue is Cheap &
so is Dutch Pink