Hocken. — Earliest Literature relating to N.Z. 627 



previously, he, at his own expense, made extensive prepara- 

 tions to insure the success of the voyage from a scientific 

 point of view. He engaged quite a retinue of assistants, and 

 sent on board an ample supply of stores and of scientific 

 instruments, which were placed in an upper works or top- 

 hamper on board the " Eesolution," which had been erected 

 under his own supervision. Dr. Solander was again to form 

 one of the party, and there were also one or two other 

 scientific men. At the last moment, when all were ready to 

 start, the pilot found fault with Sir Joseph Banks's additions, 

 which he considered absolutely unsafe for such a voyage, and 

 likely to cause disaster. Banks, in high dudgeon, at once 

 ordered his goods ashore, bade adieu to all, and started on his 

 well-known tour to Iceland. Mr. Banks's scientific friends 

 followed their chief. In this dilemma the Eoyal Society re- 

 commended Dr. John Eeinhold Forster as competent to under- 

 take the post of naturalist and to make scientific observations. 

 Dr. Forster was accompanied by his son George, a youth of 

 eighteen. 



The expedition sailed in July, 1772, and after an absence 

 of three years returned in July, 1775. It was welcomed, as 

 before, with every demonstration of curiosity and pride, and 

 every effort was made to have the account of the voyage pub- 

 lished with less delay than before. Captain Cook is credited 

 with having on this occasion acted as his own editor ; but, as 

 a matter of fact, the account of the voyage was edited by 

 the Eev. Dr. John Douglas, who was afterwards successively 

 Bishop of Carlisle and of Salisbury. It will be of some in- 

 terest here to say that this learned critic and divine was 

 the grandfather of Mr. J. A. Douglas, formerly a runholder 

 in this province, of the firm of Comber and Douglas, of the 

 Upper Waitaki. The work was issued in two quarto volumes, 

 and appeared a few days after Cook's departure on his third 

 and last voyage in 1776. The illustrations were chiefly 

 done by Mr. William Hodges, who was engaged by the 

 Admiralty to take portraits and landscape views. New 

 Zealand was visited twice on this voyage, and a stay made 

 there of three months altogether. 



As a highly disagreeable incident occurred in the Parkin- 

 son episode, so now one somewhat similar took place in an 

 unexpected quarter. Throughout the voyage Dr. Forster 

 cherished the idea — and probably with good grounds — that 

 on arrival home the honour of writing its history would 

 be intrusted to him ; and for this task he was undoubtedly 

 well qualified. He was a learned scientific man, an ex- 

 tensive- linguist, a good observer, and was in high favour 

 with the Eoyal Society. Add to this that, unlike the pon- 

 derous Hawkesworth, whose acquaintance with salt water 



