of the lale Sir Joseph Banks. 43 



observed by naturalists. Tlie volcanic, mountains, the hot spriiigSj 

 the siliceous rocks, the arctic plants, and animals of Iceland, 

 were carefully surveyed in this voyage. A rich harvest of new 

 knowledge and new specimens compensated for its toils and ex- 

 pense. 



After his return from Iceland, where he had much endeared 

 himself to the inhabitants, Mr. Banks passed his time for some 

 years, chiefly in London or at his seat in Lincolnshire, associat- 

 ing with men of letters and of rank, corresponding with men of 

 science in the most distant parts of the globe, and unweariedly 

 devoting hia time and his fortune to the great purposes of scien- 

 tific beneficence. 



In the year 1/77, when Sir John Pringle retired from the pre- 

 sidency of the Royal Society, the best friends of that Institution 

 did not think that they could promote its dignity and usefulness 

 better than by the election of Mr. Banks to fill the vacant chair. 

 The honour was just such an one as a philosopher, who was at 

 the same time a man of rank and fortune, might with laudable 

 ambition desire. And it cannot be denied, that if the best judges 

 had been desired to single out the individual who possessed the 

 most eminent union of all those qualities which were best calcu- 

 lated to adorn the office and discharge its important duties, they 

 could not easily have avoided fixing on Mr. Banks. 



It was in the year 177S that Mr. Banks entered upon the 

 duties of the office of President of the Royal Society, and he im- 

 mediately devoted himself with the most successful zeal to the 

 faithful discharge of them. Mis attentions had the happy effect 

 of procuring communications in the highest degree interesting 

 and important, and of gaining an accession of persons of rank 

 and talents to the list of memliers ; as well as exciting the whole 

 body to extraordinary diligence and activity in the proper pur- 

 suits of the Society. 



The election of President is annual, but the Society considered 

 itself too fortunate in its choice to think of changing him when 

 the j)eriod of re-election returned. For the first three or four 

 years of his Presidency, all went on in harmony and with extra- 

 ordinary advantages to science : but, notwithstanding the zeal 

 and assiduity with which Sir Joseph Banks (who had been cre- 

 ated Baronet in 17S1) devoted himself to the duties of his office, 

 and notwithstanding the general success of his cares, discontents 

 began to arise against him, even among the most eminent mem- 

 bers of the Society. A variety of complaints, the fruit of mis- 

 understanding and prejudice, were industriously circulated in re- 

 gard to hi> conduct in the Presidency ; it was said that Science 

 herielf liad never been more signally insulted than by the eleva- 

 F 2 tion 



