Letter 4518

[fol. 140] Sir May It Please your Honour, I have a very Great Rairetty yt I have been advis’d formerly to have sent to the Musium of Oxford, there to have been kept amongst them great Cureossities. It was brought from ye Coasts of China or Japan, & made a pressent of to me, by a Person of Quallity who was a verry great Travelour. Tis the Head of a prodigious & monstrous Bird of Pray Cal’d by the Name of ye Bird Guntore, Some Call ym Clappermen, The length of ye Head from the Hinder part of ye Crown to ye fore end of ye Bill or Beake is nere fourteen Inches long. The lenght of ye Crown of ye head to ye Beak is Six Inches. The Breadth of ye Crown is nere three Inch & a halfe, wth larg Eyes, a Brown ruff Hairey fether upon ye neck to the lower Beak, ye Beak somthing Crooked, all being very wonderfull & seemingly Dreadfull. and it please yor Honour I was adviss’d by some Gentlemen on to let you know of this Rairetty before it was sent to Oxford, & I humbly crave your Honours Pardon for my boldness in Troubling you with this Relation of this wonderfull Birds head, & beg ye favour of yor Honour to order yor servant to give me a line or two whither you require ye Head to be sent to yor Honour & to wt place either by ye waggon or carrier or stage coach. I live in ye Corporation of Boston in Lincolne Shire near to ye Church, where you may send to me if your Honour think Conveanint, Sir I will not Dispose of this Great Curossity till I may have ye Happyness to here from yor Honour, I knew Dr Patterick Blare very well who was my very nere neighbour in Boston, & very Good friend. I ad no more but yt I am Sir.

Yor Honours most obeadient Humble servant to comand

Cornelius Little