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Kew 6 May 1801
Sir
Your condescending Goodness in telling me that if any thing occurred to me of which I wished information respecting my preparations or comforts for the Voyage, I should communicate the same to you in writing has emboldened me to state to you the following remarks which appear to me of considerable importance to myself and which I with candour submit to your consideration.
It is with regret I have to state to you a fact that my memory is not sufficient to retain distinctly all the Articles of the appointment which I signed - owing to my not fully comprehending (from hearing them once read over) the extent of their meaning, a matter of considerable uneasiness has arisen in my mind. To the best of my recollection one article States that at our return to England every article of our collections of Natural History and curiosity &c. shall be given up to a person or persons appointed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. But with a view to encourage activity and industry in collecting, their Lordships declare that after having selected what they think proper for the British Museum &c. the remainder shall be returned to the persons who collected them to be disposed of by them at their pleasure. But on reflection I find that either in another of the same articles or by Verbal information from you after having read them The Miner and I were told that we must give up every Article of our discovery and collections of every kind to Mr. Brown when collected to be by him labeld [labelled] and Stored up &c. so that it appears to me that every Article of our industry and collection shall become the immediate property of Mr. Brown except only so much as may be selected By the Lords of the Admiralty and also the Seeds and living plants which I understand to be wholly intended for His Majesty's Collection, and will entirely deprive the Miner