BANKS AS A TRAYELLEK. O 



■colonial officers .at Rio; the explorers were not allowed to land, 

 but Banks went ashore one day bet ore daybreak, and stayed till 

 it was dark. After a fortniglit's slay, the ' Endea\our' was fired 

 upon for attempting; to leave w ithout permission ; it turned out 

 that the ivspoiisible brigudi^r had forgotten to send the per- 

 jnission, wliieli had been written out some (hiys liefore. 



l'"rom liio the voyage was continued to Tierra del Fuego, Banks 

 iind Solander landing on JStaten Island. Two days later they ran 

 the risk ot^ perishing in tl)e snow, a tale w.-ll known but worthy 

 of being meiirioned in its ])roper place. Solandt r, Banks, Monk- 

 liouse (inid:jliipman), and Gi-een (astrononna-) set out to get well 

 into the country anil ascend the liills, w liich were bare of trees. 

 On starting, the weather w.-is 'niich like a suiishiny d:iy in JMay ; 

 on reaching the plains, thev fuuiid ilie level surface consisted of 

 low i)ircli-bushes reaching waist-hiyli, which formed the most 

 tedious travelling. In the midst of this, Mr. Buchaii, an artist, 

 fell into a fit. A fire was lit for him, and the more active pushed 

 on for the next hill. It was now very cold, with frequent snow- 

 blasts, so all hope of getting back to the ship that day was given 

 up, and they tried to get into the middle of a wood and to make 

 a tire, Banks bringinir up the rear. The cold increased, and 

 •Solander said he could go no further, hut )i)ust lie down, which 

 he did, in spite of all Banks couhl say. A black servant did tlie 

 sa'ue. Banks now despatched five of the party to make a fire 

 at the first convenient spot, whilst he and four reiiuiined to 

 get Solander and the negro along. Both again laid themselves 

 down to sleep, when the welcome news came of the fire lit a 

 short distance ahead: B;inks took charge of Solander, and left 

 two hands to remain with the negro ; after getting warmed, 

 a, party was sent back, but it was found impossible to get the 

 sleepers forvvard; they were therefore covered with boughs of 

 trees. One vulture formed the whole provision for the party. 



The next morning the weather improved, and the party reached 

 the shore in three hours, having nunle a half-circle. On getting 

 on board, they nundiered two invalids, and two had been lost. 



The ' Endeavour' sailed hence towards Tahiti, and arrived there 

 after three months' passage. The voyagers quickly found the 

 natives adepts in theft, and during the whole time of the ship's 

 stay this malpractice had to be guarded against. The climax was 

 the theft of the astronomical quadrant, and Banks, as usual, had 

 to be tlie thief-catcher ; the temperature was 91° Fahr., but the 

 activity of Baid<s resulted in all the parts being restored. It 

 seems extraordinary that only one quadrant should Iiave formed 

 part of the equipment, as the whole object of the expedition 

 depended upon that single instrument, which might well have 

 renuiined undiscovered among the many luitives who had taken 

 parts of it. 



The transit having been duly observed, the expedition left 

 Tahiti after a stay of three montlis, and four months late'- made 



