In a day or two after, I took out letters of administration, as next of kin; † and having waited a considerable time, to no purpose, in expectation of hearing from Joseph Banks, I applied to Dr. John Fothergill, a common friend of my late bro-ther and Joseph Banks, to inform him how I had been treated; telling him, at the same time, I intended to file a bill in chancery against his friend Banks. The doctor dissuaded me from it, as it would be very expensive, and promised to think of some method of bringing about an accommodation. Soon after, he engaged to mediate between us, and, in appearance, much to the satisfaction of Joseph Banks ; between whom several interviews, of course, took place on the occasion.

During the negotiation, I was informed by Dr. Fothergill, that Joseph Banks desired to have the inspection of the shells and other curiosities, which had been delivered to me by his order, as beforementioned; which, by the doctor’s persuasion, I was prevailed on to consent to, as also to agree to present Joseph Banks with specimens of such as he might not have in his own collection; which he said could be but few, as Sydney Parkinson always gave him the choice of what he procured and collected.

It was not, I own, without some reluctance that I consented to send these things to Joseph Banks’s house; but, on Dr. Fothergill’s engaging that I should have the whole or the greatest part of them back, I yielded to his remonstrances, and sent a chest-of-drawers, a large trunk, and a wainscot coach-seat-box, containing,

Thirty pieces of the cloth made and worn at Otaheite and the neighbouring islands.
Fifteen ditto of matting and New-Zealand garments.
A great number of fish-hooks, and various utensils and instruments used by the people on the southern islands. These were contained, in the wainscot box, which was full of them.

† Elizabeth Parkinson, the mother of Sydney, having relinquished her right of administering.

Voyaging Accounts