PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS—SECTION D. 71 
primarily for the purpose of watering the ship preparatory to 
finally leaving the coast. Up to this time, it is important to 
notice, Captain Cook had had no discretionary powers in the 
choice of his route. So far he had merely followed his official 
instructions, which provided that a certain prescribed course was 
to be followed ‘* till I fell in with New Zealand, which I was to 
explore; and thence to return to England by such route as I 
should think proper.” That is to say, his exploration of New 
Zealand was made in accordance with his official instructions, 
but that these made no specific mention of New Holland. Up 
till this time, therefore, Cook and his companions could have 
thought but little about New Holland, if, indeed, they had found 
any occasion to think about it at all. 
Captain Cook spent 30th March in exploring Admiralty Bay, 
and on his return to the ship in the evening he found that the 
watering, &c., was completed, and the ship ready for sea. He, 
therefore, took the opportunity of consulting with “ the officers” 
about the next step to be taken. Though Cook mentions only 
the officers, it seems evident from “ Banks’s Journal” that Sir 
Joseph was present, and took part in the consultation. Three 
schemes were discussed—to return to England straightway via 
Cape Horn, or via the Cape of Good Hope, or “to steer to the 
Westward until we fall in with the E. Coast of New Holland, 
and then to follow the direction of that Coast to the Northward, 
or in what other direction it might take us, until we arrive at 
its Northern extremity.” The last of these proposals was ‘unani- 
mously agreed to.” 
In fulfilment of this momentous choice, the ‘“ Endeavour” left 
Admiralty Bay at daylight next morning (3lst March). The 
coast of New Holland was first sighted on 19th April. The 
“ Endeavour” anchored in Botany Bay on 28th April, and finally 
left the Australian coast on 25th August. 
This ever-memorable visit of Captain Cook and his com- 
panions, Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander, to Austraha in 
1770 is universally recognised as the event of fundamental im- 
portance in the history of everything Australian. If this his- 
toric event gave England “nothing less” than Australia and 
New Zealand, an important part of Greater Britain to Great 
Britain, none the less did it give biologists the flora and fauna 
of the major and most characteristic portion of one of the pri- 
mary biological sub-divisions of the globe. Not less also did it 
make the opportunity for dealing with them distinctly and pri- 
marily one for- British men of science. This last consideration, 
per se, was of no importance. It only assumed importance in 
view of future developments, and from the fact that the oppor- 
tunity was too good to go begging for long. If British bio- 
logists do not accept the opportunity, biologists of other 
