THE FORSTER HERBARIUM. 865 



preferred the place of teacher of the French, German and Natural 

 History, m the dissentmg academy at Warrington. This situation, 

 however, he soon abandoned, and returning to London, he was 

 engaged, in the year 1772, to accompany Captain Cook, as a 

 naturalist, in his second voyage round the world. At this time he 

 was 48 years of age, and his son George, who went with him, was 

 17. Upon his return to England in 1775, the University of 

 Oxford conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. At this 

 time he was projecting, with the assistance of his son, a botanical 

 work in Latin, containing the characters of many new genera 

 of plants, which they had discovered in the course of their voyage. 

 An account of the voyage having been published by his son in 

 English and German, the father was supposed to have had a con- 

 siderable share in it ; and as he had entered into an engagement 

 not to publish anything separately from the authorized narrative, 

 he thus incurred the displeasiu-e of Government, and gave offence 

 to his friends. Independently of the violation of his engagements, 

 he was also chargeable with having introduced into his work 

 several reflections on the Government which appointed and also on 

 the navigators who conducted the expedition. The father and sou, 

 finding that, in consequence of those circumstances, their situation 

 in London was become unpleasant, determined to quit England. 

 Before the execution of their purpose, their condition became 

 embarrassed and distressing ; but happily for Mr. Forster, he was 

 invited, in 1780, to be Professor of Natural History at Halle ; he 

 was also appomted Inspector of the Botanical Garden, and in the 

 following year he obtained the degree of M.D. His health, how- 

 ever, began to decline, and the death of his son George so deeply 

 impressed his mind as to aggravate his other complaints. Towards 

 the commencement of the year 1798 his case became desperate ; 

 and before the close of this year, viz., on the 9th of December, his 

 life terminated, at the age of 69 years and some months. Mr. 

 Forster' s disposition was, unfortunately for his happiness and 

 reputation, extremely irritable and litigious, and his want of 

 prudence involved him in perpetual difdculties." 



It is evident, from this account, that J. E. Forster was a man 

 of very varied attainments and great energy ; the ' Banksian 

 Correspondence ' contains abundant evidence that the judgment 

 passed upon him in the last sentence is a correct one. His 

 dedication to Solander of the ' Flora Americse Septentrionalis ' is 

 couched in terms so flattering as to be fulsome. Forster con- 

 sidered he had been unfairly treated by Cook ; and from his own 

 statement of the case, as detailed in a long letter to Banks (not 

 dated, but apparently written in 1778), it would seem that he had 

 some ground for his belief. It would certainly appear, from the 

 following passage in a letter from Solander to Banks, dated Sept. 5, 

 1755, — which I cite because it gives a contemporary opinion of 

 Forster's character,— that it was at any rate contemplated that 

 Forster should be part author of the account of the voyage. 



" Mr. Forster overwhelms me with civilities upon your account. 

 He is of all men I know either the most open or the greatest fool. 



