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MEMOIR OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
SIR JOSEPH BANKS, BART. K. B.
(With a Portrail.)

President of the Royal Society, a
Trustee of the British Museum, F.A.S.
F. R. S. Edinburgh, M. R. I. A. and
Member of the Royal Institute of
France, and of most of the learned
Societies in Europe and America.

ther the influence of wealth, nor the power of princes, can bestow.

The honours which occasionally furnish wonder with employment, and await the fortunate, may for a season levy on admiration, a tribute of applause; they may infuse new vigour into envy, and throng the field of expectation with an additional tribe of active votaries; their charms may deIn the records of heraldry, his name,corate imbecility with imaginary granhis honours, and his alliances, are ex- deur, and render mental weakness hibited in the following order. magnificently formidable in the eye of ignorance; but a much shorter period than that in which Sir Joseph Banks has sustained his unfading honours, at the head of the first literary and scientific society in the world, would have thrown a mere pretender into obscurity, or only have exhibited him in the decline of life, as a monument serving to commemorate departed greatness.

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Banks, of Revesby Abbey, Lincolnshire, created March 24, 1781. The Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, created a baronet as above, Knight of the Bath, LL. D. President of the Royal Society, and one of his Majesty's Privy Council, was born Dec. 13, 1743; married March 29, 1779, Dorothea, daughter and co-heir of William Weston Hugessen. of Provender, in the county of Kent, Esq. sister to the lady of Sir Edw. Knatchbull, bart. by whom he has no issue. Sir Joseph is a member of most foreign learned societies.-Motto: Nullis in verba-“ Nothing upon He likewise wears the ribbon of his order round his arms, with the motto, Tria juncta in uno- "Three in one." Family seats, Revesby Abbey, Lincolnshire, and Spring Grove, Middlesex."

trust."

If titles, birth, and fortune, were alone capable of conferring genuine greatness, Sir Joseph Banks might triumph in his superiority without merit, and look down on genius and talents with contempt. Mounted on the pedestal of fame, he might cast a supercilious smile on those laborious mortals who are wearying themselves in the drudgery of science, and hoping to obtain renown by successful application and persevering industry, and congratulate himself with the pleasing reflection, that fortune had been more favourable to his wishes than his deserts.

The laurels, on the contrary, which encircle the head of this venerable sou of science, have retained their freshness through his laborious and protracted state of mortal existence; and in the evening of his days they flourish round him with unwithering bloom, and form an alcove, in which genius and science must expect shortly to behold his settiug sun.

Sir Joseph Banks is descended from a noble family in Sweden. The first of his ancestors who settled in this country was his paternal grandfather, who is said to have acquired an ample fortune by the reputable practice of an honourable profession, to which those who have recorded the fact, have not given a name. The father of Sir Joseph was a private gentleman, who resided chiefly on his estate in Lincolnshire, where he was respected and beloved for his domestic virtues, and other estimable qualities.

Sir Joseph was born about the year 1743, and, at a suitable age, was sent to complete his studies at the University of Oxford. In this seminary he made a considerable proficiency in various branches of liberal knowledge; but a predisposition to natural history was that in which he became chiefly conspicuous.

The honours, however, which are associated with the name of this scientific gentleman, stand on a more permanent foundation than the caprices of fortune, or the success with which accident crowns hazardous adventure. Kank and station may command the homage of adulation, and glitter with dazzling splendour in the eye of mere pretension; but that respect which is exacted from profound penetration, must arise from something, which nei-application. No. 11.-VOL. I.

To facilitate his progress in this department, several favourable coincidences at this period conspired; independently of those which arose from the bent of his genius, the extent of his fortune, and the promising presages of an unwearied

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Linnæus about this time had aston- | and figures, and the other to paint subished the world with the progress he jects of natural history. A secretary had made in botanical researches; and, and four servants were also incorpoby the nomenclature which he had in-rated in his suite; and more immedivented, and the arrangements he had ately as his director in natural history, formed, nearly all Europe was roused he engaged Dr. Solander, who was at from the lethargy in which it had been that time employed in the British Muentranced for ages; and the pupils of seum. This gentleman, who was a this great philosopher were enriching Swede by birth, and had been one of this department of science, with the the most eminent pupils of Linnæus, productions of almost every climate was well known to possess considerand every zone. able merit, which, having recommended him to the patronage of England, fully qualified him to become the companion of Sir Joseph in his future researches.

A study so congenial with the opening genius of Sir Joseph Banks, could not long escape his attention; and being furnished with the means of indulging in these favourite researches, he formed a resolution to promote, to the utmost of his power, the interests of this pleasing branch of philosophy. From the islands of Jamaica and Barbadoes many botanical treasures had been already collected; the continent | of America had also been visited, and Virginia had yielded a valuable scientific harvest.

Stimulated by these adventures, discoveries, and successes, Sir Joseph determined to extend his researches beyond the narrow round in which his predecessors and contemporaries had travelled;—to add enterprise to science; and to enrich the treasures of botany with the productions of countries that had hitherto been unexplored. Under these impressions, on leaving the University in 1763, he embarked in a voyage across the Atlantic, to visit the coasts of Newfoundland, and the inhospitable regions of Labrador. In this expedition the difficulties he encountered were numerous and formidable; but his success in collecting the various objects of his research, more than counterbalanced the hardships which he endured, and prepared him for greater exertions, and more hazardous exploits.

Availing himself of that spirit of naval discovery, which at this time predominated, he resolved to embrace the earliest opportunity of embarking with some celebrated circumnavigator, to take a circuit round the globe. Anson, Byron, Carteret, and Wallis, had respectively returned from their perilous voyages: and Lieut. James Cook being about to prosecute the disCoveries they had begun, with him he determined to sail.

Sir Joseph took with him two draughtsmen; one to delineate views

On the 26th of August 1768, Sir Joseph and his companions sailed from Plymouth, on board of the Endeavour, commanded by Lieutenant Cook, and prosecuted the early part of their voyage without meeting with any particular accident. In their passage to Madeira they discovered several marine animals, which no naturalist had hitherto described; and from thence to Rio Janeiro their vigilance was pleasingly rewarded by various objects entirely new to science. But in this settlement, the constitutional jealousy of the Portuguese prevented them from visiting those places, in which they had anticipated a harvest of new beauties in the vegetable world.

Landing on the coast of Terra del Fuego, Sir Joseph, Dr. Solander, and others, made an excursion into the country, where being overtaken with a storm of snow, they had nearly perished. The cold was intense; no mark to guide them in their return remained visible; the desolation of winter seemed to conceal the face of nature; and their propensity to sleep was almost invincible. The love of life appeared to have abandoned them with the probable means of preserving it; and three of their companions fell asleep to awake no more. One night they passed on shore, amidst the horrors of the storm; and even against the dictates of their own judgments, several were disposed to indulge their propensity to sleep, even while they were convinced that the consequences would be fatal. On the following day, they, however, discovered the beach; and making their way towards it, arrived at last almost in the agonies of death, in which condition they were received on board the ship.

From the inhospitable shores of

Terra del Fuego, the Endeavour sailed at sea, and their escape was little into the Pacific ocean, and reached less than miraculous. On this disasOtaheite on the 12th of April, 1769. trous occasion, Sir Joseph was among At this place, and among the smaller the foremost in braving the dangers islands, the voyagers tarried about of their situation; and to his firmness three months, during which time Sir and presence of mind they were much inJoseph was indefatigable in forming debted for their common preservation. his collections of whatever was rare or curious, and in making his observations on every species of remarkable phænomena. On these occasions, his intimate acquaintance with human nature, enabled him to preserve a good understanding with the natives, and, through his prudence and foresight, many dissensions were prevented. His collections in these islands were numerous and interesting, and compensated by their peculiar novelty for their deficiency in actual value.

On the 15th of August, they sailed from this groupe of islands, taking with them Tupia a priest, and Tayeto his boy, and on the 6th of October they came in sight of New Zealand, which at that time had been seen only by Tasman, a former navigator. With the inhabitants a friendly intercourse was quickly established through Tupia, who understood their language, and acted as interpreter. At this place, while the navigators examined the coast, and explored the strait, which now bears the name of Cook, Sir Joseph was busily engaged in culling the rare and curious productions of nature. And although in proportion to the extent of country with which they were surrounded, the specimens were less numerous and diversified than might have been expected, many articles were obtained, which acquire value and importance, as being imported from a distant region, to enrich the cabinet of the naturalist.

From New Zealand they proceeded to New Holland, which they coasted northward, until they reached Botany Bay; a name which was given to this place, from the numerous and diversified botanical objects it was found to contain. On the shores, new species of zoology were likewise discovered; and from the numerous and distant excursions made into the interior, they concluded, that it would prove highly favourable for a colonial settlement. In prosecuting their voyage along the eastern shore, the ship unfortunately struck upon a rock, which, making an opening in her bottom, they were in the most imminent danger of perishing

At the mouth of a river, which, after their ship, they named Endeavour, they repaired, in the best manner they were able, the damage which the vessel had sustained. But unfortunately, they were compelled to lay her in a position, that admitted so much water, as entirely ruined a considerable part of the collections which Sir Joseph had made, and the remainder was not saved without much anxiety and trouble.

Surviving this disaster, they renewed their voyage; and, continuing to advance northward along the coast, his losses were in some measure repaired, by the variety of shells, and other marine productions, which were gathered, the species of which had been entirely unknown before. But their most important discovery was that of the Kangaroo, which exhibited a novelty in the animal world, and added an interesting species to the natural history of quadrupeds. This animal is now too well known to require any particular description.

Leaving this place on the 23d of August, they steered for New Guinea. In the insalubrious climate of Batavia, they experienced the common afflictions to which most Europeans are exposed, when they begin to breathe this noxious atmosphere. Tupia was seized with an ague, of which he died; and his boy Tayeto fell by an inflammation of the lungs. For some time Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander were exceedingly ill; and in their turns, all on board were sick during their stay in this abode of pestilence and death, except the sailmaker, an old man between seventy and eighty, who got drunk every day. At Batavia seven men died; and in the course of the next six weeks after they left the harbour, twenty-three more became the fatal victims of disease and death. Nothing further of moment occurred during the remaining part of their voyage. The survivors contrived to navigate the vessel to the shores of England, which they reached on the 12th of June, 1771, and cast anchor in the Downs.

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