ters, are not without interest. The Duke of Buckingham was
anxious to engage him as a travelling companion in a tour he was about
to undertake, in which he proposed to avail himself of every opportunity
for adding to his knowledge of geology.

LORD GRENVILLE TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.

Dropmore, Feb. 17, 1822.

My friend Buckland is so far from being a quiz in a buzz wig, that
he is, I think, one of the men I should most choose for an
_agreeable companion in a post-chaise_. Whether he is prepared
to undertake so formidable an expedition as you speak of, I should
have some doubt, and the rather because he has usually some project
of his own for spending the long vacation abroad in the prosecution
of his inquiries. I can, however, have no difficulty in asking him
the question, and at all events I should be glad of the opportunity
of making him known to you, because I am sure you cannot but like
him.

I have been reading Lord Londonderry's speech, which, as far as I
understand his figures, seems to me more satisfactory than I had
hoped. The great question is--will it satisfy the country
gentlemen, without whom he cannot go on, and will they, on this
ground, make a real and firm stand in his behalf? Of that of course
I cannot pretend to judge, nor perhaps is it easy to say who can.

Government have certainly, under all the circumstances, acted
wisely in taking the present moment for reducing the Five per
cents. quite down to Four, though it is obvious they might have
made rather a better bargain by a little further delay. So far is
well, and I think the Malt Tax is, on the whole, the best they
could have chosen, though I am not sure whether the Window Tax
would not have given more general relief. His million for next year
(assuming Ireland to be tranquillized), I also fully understand and
approve.

But pray explain to me if you can (for from the newspaper I can
make nothing of it), from what quarter his 500,000_l._ in each
year, for the four preceding years, is to come? Observe he states
it (if said _Courier_ be correct), as something independent of, and
in addition to, the future reduction of Four per cents. down to
Three.

If by the conjuration of what is called _borrowing of the
community_, in order to keep up the nominal Sinking Fund, he means
to apply the five millio