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On the otlier hand, Banks' share has been almost unappreciated 

 until within the last decade. As far as Australia is concerned 

 the apparent neglect is pardonable since it is attributable to 

 national ignorance arising from the want of published information. 

 In the preface to ' Banks' Journal,' Sir Joseph Hooker points out 

 that no adequate ' Life ' has yet appeared, even though several 

 abortive attempts to accomplish it have been made. Sir Joseph 

 Banks was President of the Ro3^al Society for fort3''-one years. 

 Nevertheless Sir Joseph Hooker ^ays : " Great as his services to 

 science are known to have been, these will never be full}^ realised 

 till his correspondence in the British Museum and elsewhere 

 shall have been thoroughly searched." 



But the tide has already turned. Among the important factors 

 in producing this desirable reaction have been the publication of Sir 

 •Joseph Hooker's ' Banks' Journal ' (1896), and of two Parts of 

 •the long delayed ' Illustrations of the Botany of Cook's Voyage 

 in the Endeavour' (Australian Plants, Parts i.-ii.), recently issued 

 by the British Museum. But above all, admirers of Banks are 

 most indebted to the Government of New South Wales, firstly, 

 for not missing the opportunity of purchasing the ' Brabourne 

 Papers,' now known as the 'Banks Papers,' when the opportunity 

 offered; and secondly, for the commencement of an ' Official 

 History,' but especially for the publication of the ' Official 

 Records.' Seven volumes, covering the period 1770 to 1811, have 

 been published. But Sir Joseph lived until the year 1820, so that 

 we are still in the dark about his connection with Australian 

 affairs during the interval indicated. 



The 'Records,' however, are for the historian, the specialist 

 and the student rather than for the general reader. One of the first 

 to recognise both the importance of the ' Records ' and the draw- 

 backs from the general reader's standpoint was the late Professor 

 Morris, who b}' his lectures, and also by a projected work entitled 

 ' Cook and his Companions,' sought to make known Australia's 

 obligations to Sir Joseph, and to arouse a healthy public spirit 

 in this connection. The contemplated book was not quite ready 

 for the press at the time of Prof. Morris' death in England; but 

 his literary executors have the matter of its publication in hand, 



