Letter 3798

[fol. 85] Cartaga Aug 16 n.s. 1730 Sr When I had the pleasure of waiting on you in London, you Justly accused me of neglect of Duty in not sending you from hence formerly, Curiosities or any other subject Matter of Entertainment; I must Ingeniously confesse my own Incapacity of Entertaining Gentlemen of your known Taste, and knowledge age Learning in general and particularly in Botany, which Defect in me I hope shall be sufficiently supplyed by my Freind Mr Will: Houstoun, who I hope had complyed with his Duty in sending you his Botanical Observations, and I wou’d be proud to assist in any thing that’s in my Power towards your entertainment for which I have sent you by this conveyance some Astronomical Observations from the Year 1724 till 1730 by a Gentleman of Learning Brigadier Don John de Henrera [?] You’ll see by his Titles what Character he bears in the World, and I assure you that he’s of undoubled Honour and Integrity; I don’t presume to give my opinion of the Observations, when they are to be submitted to so good Judges, he deserves they may be said befor the Royal Society to have their opinion of them, this Gentleman keeps up a Correspondence with L’academie Royal des Sciences at Paris, and desires the same Honour from the Royal Society at London, as he’s a Gentleman of Distraction, freindly and Good, he may be of service to your Hon’ble Society so I begg you’ll send him an ansure, which he complains has been neglected formerly when he sent some of his observations, I don’t know by what means, I wou’d not presume to translate them into English for fear of Mistakes but you’ll gett people enough in England that understand the Original; I shall be heartily glade to be the Means of carrying on this Correspondence, or any [fol. 86] otherwise contribute for the Entertainment of the Curious and Learned World to the utmost of my weak Capacity, and nothing can give me more pleasure than the Least opportunity of shewing with what gratitude and Respect I am Sr Your most obedt and obliged humble sert Ja:Houstoun P:S: There’s no News here worth your Notice only the arrival of the Galleons the 9 Inst consisting of 6 Men of Warr and 15 Mercht ships I fancy they may by some months here be for the Celebration of the fair at Plovelo