A very fine and early letter from Banks explicitly referring to his collection of South Seas "curiosities", the expected return of Cook from his third voyage and the Presidency of the Royal Society.

A very fine and early letter from Banks explicitly referring to his collection of South Seas "curiosities", the expected return of Cook from his third voyage and the Presidency of the Royal Society.

The letter also sheds important light on the otherwise little-known collections of the addressee, Richard Parry Price FRS (1736-1782). Price, an antiquary connected to major figures like John Latham and Sir Ashton Lever, had clearly approached Banks regarding the substantial private museum, menagerie and "fine collection of birds" (Pennant) he was curating at his house Bryn-y-Pys. Price was close to Banks's particular friend and correspondent John Lloyd, both of the Welshmen being associated with Sir Watkin Williams Wynn of 'Wynnstay,' the great house known for its amateur theatrics (and, rather incredibly, for having employed Watkin Tench's father).

The letter is a relatively uncommon example of Banks explicitly referring to living animals in his purview, particularly mentioning his proposed gift to Price of a living American Agouti (a large rodent), making the endearing comment that he has no fear of it getting to Price alive "as my servants are very fond of it & take much care of it." This in itself is a tantalising lead, as it is not immediately clear where and from whom Banks had such an exotic beast.

Of the greatest importance is Banks's explicit reference to his own collection of South Seas artefacts, made by him on the Endeavour and later expanded by colleagues like the Forsters. Price had evidently made a request for natural history and ethnographic specimens, to which Banks replies: "I should with great pleasure obey your commands about S. See [sic]. curiosities had I not some time ago made a present of my whole stock to the British Museum. When the ships return I shall probably be able to get you some from my friends…". The returning ships that he mentions are of course the Resolution and the Discovery, at this time at anchor in Kealakekua Bay, just three weeks before Cook's death.

Allowing for a degree of reticence or even exaggeration on his part, it is intriguing that Banks is clearly suggesting that he had already given the "whole" of his existing collection to the Museum by gift in late 1778. That gift to the Museum is certainly known, Chambers describing it as a "timely personal gesture just before standing as President of the Royal Society," adding that it caused Banks some angst with other collectors, grumpy that they had been overlooked. However, the exact dimensions of the gift are only poorly recorded, this letter to Price therefore providing new evidence that it was perhaps more total than has hitherto been understood.

---

Banks also discusses here his new role as President of the Royal Society, notably his unwillingness to put forward candidates for the Society "in the same manner as my Predessers [sic]", instead offering to introduce Price to other members "when ever you come to town".

As the friendly tone of the letter shows, nor was this simply a brush-off: in the event it was Lloyd who pursued the question of Price's election, privately following up in a letter to Banks in January 1781. Price was actually elected in the middle of that year, sponsored by Daniel Solander (Banks's greatest friend), and John Hunter FRS (the prominent surgeon and another close associate) underlining the fact that Banks was tacitly supporting his career.

Sadly, Price died in 1782, his tombstone recording that he had borne "with uncommon fortitude a very dreadfull and lingering illness". His collection is now essentially unrecorded beyond a few notes in Pennant's books, making this letter – and the connections to Banks it reveals – a major new addition to our understanding of this fractured and complex era of Australian and Pacific collecting.