26 MEMOIR OF 



which many of his specimens were entirely- 

 destroyed. The greater part, however, by great 

 care and attention, were restored. There was 

 now every appearance of a successful termination 

 to their voyage, when the discovery of the very 

 defective state of the ship obliged them to stay at 

 Batavia. Here a scene of hoiTor occurred, from 

 which the heart recoils. The whole crew were 

 in a few days seized with illness, arising from the 

 pestilential air of the country, neither Mr Banks 

 nor Dr Solander excepted. They were both pro- 

 nounced so ill, that there was no chance for 

 recovery, except by a removal to a country house, 

 which was procured for them about two miles 

 from town. Here, after much suffering, they 

 slowly recovered. They set sail from this den of 

 pestilence December 26, 1770, having buried 

 there the surgeon, and six others. Forty of the 

 crew were in a state of extreme disease. 



Despair 

 Tended the sick, busiest from couch to couch ; 

 And over them, triumphant, Death his dart 

 Shook. 



Twenty- three of these miserable beings died on 

 their passage to the Cape, among whom were two 

 of Mr Banks's retinue, namely, Mr Parkinson, the 

 natural history painter, and Mr Sporing. The 

 remainder reached the Cape, March 15, 1771 ; 



