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[Page 69]
March 1773 - Rotterdam
water sponge was not an animal but a vegetable.
Tho I was inclined to differ from him in opinion yet we having no Language between us but Latin which I spoke by no means fluently I was contented to wave the dispute which was fortunate for his side of the question Lasted till near 12 O'Clock had I answerd, he rejoined & I again attempted to confute no one knows when we should have been able to attend to any thing else.
at 12 we visited a Mr Rainville who to the admiration of all Holland had in 5 only of the 7 provinces collected 500 species of grapes I do not know what he saw in my face but the very first quire he opned he at once gave me up 100 of them as varieties in hopes I suppose by his generosity to fix the remaining 400 as absolute species I confess I was moved by such liberality to such a sense of his politeness as to wave my priveledge of reducing very much never entering into particular but only now & then to keep up my right condemning