4 IJAI^KS CELEBRATION. 



Tlius t'loiM iiit'aiic'v to ;ige J luive liail before iiie ihe insjtiriiig- 

 persoiialily of Sir .losepli JJaiiks, and am glad to take part in the 

 present celebration of a remarkable man. 



As I have to deal with the earlier life of J3anks, I venture to 

 prefix a few remarks on his birth and i)phrinf;in<i^. 



He was born in Argyle Street, a short distance from the room 

 in wliicli we are assembled, in February 174^3, his ancestors beino;- 

 Lincolnshire people : his father, William Banks, who succeeded 

 to the family estates in 17-i(J ; his mother, I\Innanne, danghter of 

 \\ illiam Hate. His school-days were passed at Harrow, whence 

 alter four years he was sent to Eton, \\ here he earned the reputa- 

 tion of heini,' devoted to |)lay, hut not addicted to hooks. From 

 Eton he went u|) to Christ C'liurch, Oxford, lu IT'M his father 

 died, leaving Joseph, still a minor, and a sister to the care of 

 their mother. 



At the time uheii ]3anks went uj), the Prid'essor of Jjotany was 

 Humphrey .Sihthorp, and as no lectures were delivered at Oxford,, 

 be arranged with 8ibthorp to get a lecturer, whicli lie accom- 

 plished by going to Cambridge, and bringing hack with him' 

 Israel Lyons. J3anks went down in December 1703, and in the 

 following February he came of age, and established himself at 

 Kevesbv. 



In 17(5(3 he engaued on his first voyage. An Oxford friend, 

 Lieut. Constantiue Pliip|)s, afterwards second Baron Mul<ira\ e, was- 

 on the ' Niger,' Capt. T. Adanis, which was ordered to Labrador 

 and New fouiulland on business concerning the fisheries, lie sug- 

 j:ested that Banks should accnm])any hiui, which idea was wanulv 

 entertained ; the ' Nip;er ' sailed on 22nd Ajjril, 1766, and reached 

 Newfoundland 1 1th ^lay ; thencelorwaid Banks was busy on 

 jdants, birds, and fishes. The vessel made for Lisbon on her 

 return, and reached that port on 2nd November, remaining there 

 some weeks, enabling Banks to fauiiliarize himself with Portuguese 

 productions. In 1767 he made two trips inland, westwards, and 

 to Wales. 



The next year brought the great opportunity, which Banks 

 seized. The Eoyal Society wanted accurate observation of the 

 Transit of Venus, due in 1769. and arrangements were made for 

 pnrties to ])roceed to Madras, Hudson Bay, and an island in the 

 Pacific Ocean. James Cook, then a lieutenant in the Iii)yal Navy, 

 was chosen commander of the 'Endenvoin-,' a Whilhy-huilt collier, 

 and Hanks, with Daniel Solander, and a staff' of {lraiigbtsn:en and 

 servants, nine in all, were assigned qmirters on boartl. 



'i'he 'Endeavour' left Plymouth on 25th August, 1768, and 

 sailed to ^ladeira, where five days were spent; then it set its- 

 course to Rio de Janeiro, w liich was gained on the 13th November. 

 On the way Banks ami his company were constantly netting fish 

 and marine animals and shootinir sea-birds, describing and liguring 

 those which were new to science. 



Ti;e expedition was very badly treated by the Portuguese 



