[Francis MASSON (1741-1805), Scottish botanist, traveled wit - Lot 45

Lot 45
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Result : 2 800EUR
[Francis MASSON (1741-1805), Scottish botanist, traveled wit - Lot 45
[Francis MASSON (1741-1805), Scottish botanist, traveled with Cook, exploring South Africa for 30 months and North America for 7 years, from 1797 to his death in Montreal]. - W.J. ACTON, British Minister to the United States. Autograph letter signed to the great naturalist and explorer Joseph Banks (1743-1820). 1 p. in-4. New York, February 21, 1801. He sends him the accounts of botanist Francis Masson's expenses during the last 3 years of his voyage, and considers them very moderate. "The enclosed id Mr Masson account of his expences. The whole appears to me very reasonable [...]. I beg you will be pleased to offer my thanks to lady Banks for some Bulbs she has been so good as favor me for His Majesty's Botanical Garden in this place". - Handwritten letter (copy signed twice) to the great naturalist and explorer Joseph Banks (1743-1820), 3 pp. ½ in-folio. Montreal (Canada), November 27, 1800. Very rare and valuable letter beginning with an account of the expenses of his botanical expedition to North America: "Money expended on a Botanical Voyage to North America in his Majesty's service", from August 1797 to August 1799, costs due to capture by French pirates and expenses for the expedition, "For Capt Hervey of the Ship Ellice for a passage to New Yourk", "To the capt of the Hama a Bemen ship (on board of which we were put when taken by the French) for provisions", "for books and paper", "for a gun", "for a pair of pistols", "for transporting self & baggage to schenectedy", "for hire of 3 men from Schenectedy to Niagara", "for boat hire & lockage out & home", "For expences at Niagara Queenston chippa way", "expence there & on the passage down to Montreal in a Batteau", "For Board & loading at Montreal from 15 oct. To 12 may at ½ guinea per week", "Expences on a journey to Quebec", "May 12 left Montreal fir the Grand Portage Lake Superior", "Set out from the Falls of St Mary to Michilimakina expences there for canoe hire", "To 3 chests for plants & seeds", "Passage cross lake Ontario", etc. After all this expense detail, he turns to Joseph Banks, apologizing for taking so long to send him this account, but his tumultuous life is the cause. "Next year I hope to make greater exertion & will be under the necessity of having canoe & men of my own, in that case the expence will be somewhat greater. I wrote you last by the Fall Fleet & sent the greatest part of the Plants & seeds I had collected. The living Plants packed in moss I sent by the ship Montreal capt Boyd ; & the seeds & specimens & a drawing of the Nympherides I sent by favor of Mr Shaw passenger on board the Uretta capt Patterson. I have yet some by me find some difficulty in sending them by passengers by way od N. York. I am veru desirous to have a box of Roots of digitalis purpurea & also seed sent oyt by the spring fleet as they are much wanted here by the Medical Gentlemen [...] ".
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