Sir Joseph Banks, Bart 5 



might reflect as much lustre upon a reign as conquests. He 

 was the first among princes who formed the idea of visiting new 

 countries without carrying terror into them, and of making 

 known his power only by his benefits. Whenever the historian 

 records an example like this, it is his duty to shew it in all its 

 beauty. It especially belongs to the historian of science, in ful- 

 filling this duty, to raise himself above the wretched rivalships of 

 nations : and although the nation which has merited this ho- 

 mage has been so often and so long at war with France, it is 

 undoubtedly not before an assembly such as ours that I need 

 apologise for having rendered it. 



George III. was therefore eager, upon his coming to the 

 throne, to send some vessels to the South Sea, with general in- 

 structions for extending geographical knowledge. Commodore 

 Byron had been sent there in 1764. Two other officers, Cap- 

 tain Wallis and Captain Carteret, were sent out in 1766 ; they 

 had not yet returned, when a fourth expedition was fitted out, 

 under the command of James Cook, who, by this voyage, and 

 the two others which he performed, contributed more to extend 

 the knowledge of the globe, than any navigator who had pre- 

 ceded him for two centuries. 



His voyage had in viev/ at once the interests of geography and 

 of astronomy ; for Cook's principal commission was to observe 

 the passage of Venus over the Sun's disc, which, having already 

 taken place in 1761, was to occur again in 1769. 



Mr Banks resolved to make it also contribute to the advan- 

 tage of Natural History, and requested for this purpose to parti- 

 cipate in its dangers, and devote to it a part of his fortune. 

 He spared nothing to ensure its success, in as far as regarded 

 himself; he provided at his own expence a great store of ob- 

 jects that might be useful to the people he was about to visit ; 

 he got all the apparatus necessary for physical observations, 

 and the preservation of natural objects, placed in the vessel ; 

 he engaged a distinguished pupil of Linnagus, lately settled in 

 England, Dr Solander, to prosecute with him the science which 

 was the common object of their love ; he took with him two 

 painters, to make drawings of what could not be preserved ; 

 he engaged the necessary servants ; in short, he provided all that 

 might render his enterprise agreeable and successful. 



