28 MEMOIR OF 



a member of the Royal Society ; and, during the 

 short time he remained at home, he took an active 

 part in their proceedings. Government were so well 

 satisfied with the results of Lieutenant Cook's first 

 voyage that he received a captain's commission, 

 with instructions to take the command of an 

 expedition on a larger scale, which was to sail the 

 following year. Mr Banks fully intended to have 

 again accompanied him, and expended several 

 thousand pounds for instruments and other pre- 

 parations for the voyage, when an unfortunate 

 dispute with the Navy Board disgusted him, and 

 he abandoned the idea ; but having again engaged 

 the services of Dr Solander and other scientific 

 gentlemen, he determined to explore Iceland, at 

 that time very little known. For this purpose he 

 chartered a vessel, at an expense of 100 per 

 month, and left London the 12th July, 1772. 

 The party consisted of Dr Solander, Dr Von 

 Troil, another Swedish naturalist, Dr Lind of 

 Edinburgh, as astronomer, Lieutenant Gore, who 

 had sailed with him round the world, three draughts- 

 men, two amanuenses, with servants and seamen 

 to the number of forty people. Having visited 

 the Western Islands of Scotland, they were forced, 

 on the night of the 12th of August, to cast anchor 

 in the sound between Mull and Morvern, opposite 

 to Drumnen, the seat of Mr M'Lean. They were 

 immediately invited to land. During breakfast, 



