624 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Admiralty, to whom, indeed, they are handed over. Despite 

 this care, some leakage occurred, and two or three short and 

 anonymous publications made their appearance. One of them, 

 a small quarto of 130 pages, with a three-page vocabulary of 

 Otaheite, has been attributed — I am sure, incorrectly — to the 

 joint authorship of Banks and Solander. But to one large and 

 important work of this surreptitious sort I must make special 

 reference. It is the Journal of Sydney Parkinson, who was 

 engaged by Mr. Banks as his draughtsman. Quite a melan- 

 choly and romantic story attaches to this interesting book, 

 which is partially told by Mr. Colenso in vol. x. of our Transac- 

 tions. As this gentleman was evidently unaware of the whole 

 story, I shall not hesitate to record it more fully, and so to 

 supplement it as to do Sir Joseph Banks justice, and free his 

 name from that grave reproach under which it rests in the 

 pages of Mr. Colenso's article, " Manibus Parkinsonibus 

 sacrum." Young Parkinson was a very intelligent, gentle 

 youth, the son of a Quaker in Edinburgh. His skill in the 

 use of the pencil, and the fidelity with which he drew plants 

 and objects of natural history generally, led to an introduction 

 to Mr. Banks, who was then about to sail with Captain Cook 

 in the "Endeavour." Mr. Banks offered him the post of 

 draughtsman, at a salary of £80 a year and rations. This 

 offer, so agreeable to his curiosity and love of nature, the 

 young man joyfully accepted. He gained the affection of all 

 on board, and performed his artistic duties in the most com- 

 petent way. His botanical drawings, which now lie in the 

 Banksian Collection at the British Museum, are of great 

 beauty and accuracy, and attest his merit. After nearly three 

 long years of absence the "Endeavour" turned her head 

 towards home. Near Batavia the dread scourge of dysentery 

 and fever struck the vessel. Amongst the victims was poor 

 young Parkinson, who died in January, 1771. Barely was 

 the anchor dropped in English waters before his brother Stan- 

 field demanded the papers, drawings, and curiosities of his de- 

 ceased relative. Mr. Banks, who had possession, contended 

 that all these belonged to him, as Sydney Parkinson's em- 

 ployer. He was, however, willing and desirous to make the 

 most liberal concessions, both pecuniarily and in the way of 

 permitting a selection from the curiosities for friends. Here 

 the negotiations became of a very disagreeable and prolonged 

 character, notwithstanding the judicious mediation of the cele- 

 brated Dr. John Fothergill, who was not only a friend of Mr. 

 Banks, but v/as also, like Parkinson, a Quaker, and presum- 

 ably therefore disposed to act with justice and sentiment to 

 both parties. It soon became evident that Parkinson was the 

 tool of designing persons, who advised him to be first in the 

 field with what material of his brother's he could collect and 



