WILLIAM ANDERSON AND PLANTS OF COOK's THIRD VOYAGE 347 



astonishing to see with what luxuriance this large succulent plant 

 grows on the barren rocks, and though to all appearances useless 

 serves the inhabitants, who break it down and let it dry in the 

 sun, for fuel." 



During the third voyage Anderson kept a journal, of which 

 extensive use is made in the published account. At his death it 

 would naturally have come into the hands of Cook, after whose 

 murder, or at any rate before the publication of the Voyage to the 

 Pacific, it was probably acquired by James King, a lieutenant with 

 Cook on the Resolution. Whether the copious extracts from 

 Anderson's journal were inserted by Cook or added by King, who 

 wrote the third volume and probably prepared the first two for 

 press, cannot be ascertained ; but it is not too much to say that, 

 apart from their relation to geographical discovery, the value of 

 these volumes is mainly due to Anderson's observations. These 

 extend to anthropology and to every branch of natural history, as 

 well as to folk-lore and philology, and are among the earUest 

 contributions to our knowlege of these subjects in the region to 

 which they relate. Anderson's help is not only frequently 

 acknowledged in general terms, but extracts extending over 

 many pages and occasionally to whole chapters are taken 

 from his journal, sometimes in substitution for Cook's own 

 account. The journal was kept up to June 3rd, 1778 ; his death 

 took place on July 3rd, and is thus recorded by Cook [Voyage, 

 ii, 4i0) : 



" Mr. Anderson, my surgeon, who had been lingering under a 

 consumption for more than twelve months, expired between three 

 and four this afternoon. He was a sensible young man, an agree- 

 able companion, well skilled in his own profession ; and had 

 acquired considerable knowledge in other branches of science. 

 The reader of this Journal will have observed how useful an 

 assistant I had found him in the course of the voyage; and had 

 it pleased God to have spared his life, the Public, I make no 

 doubt, might have received from him such communications on 

 various parts of the natural history of the several places we visited, 

 as would have abundantly shown that he was not unworthy of this 

 commendation. Soon after he had breathed his last, land was seen 

 to the Westw^ard, twelve leagues distant. It was supposed to be 

 an island ; and, to perpetuate the memory of the deceased, for 

 whom I had a very great regard, I named it Anderson's Island." 



This notice of a remarkable man may be concluded by quoting 

 the tribute of Eobert Brown when establishing (Prodr. 553) the 

 genus which bears his name : 



"Andersonia ... In memoriam dixi Gulielmi Anderson, 

 chirurgi navalis, qui Cookii expeditionibus bis adjunctus, in ultima 

 obiit ; hominum et animalium observationi quamvis potissimum 

 deditus, botanicem minime neglexit, et illius plures descriptiones 

 plantarum, praecipue Insulae Diemen, in codic. mss. (in Biblio- 

 theca Banksiana asservatis etinejusdemcatal. bismemoratis,tom.2, 

 p. 32, et tom. 3, p. 184) extant, ubi genera nonnulla tunc inedita 

 proposita invenio, scil. Goodeniam Sm. {Collema mss.) ; Corream 



