517 



BANKS, SIR JOSEPH. 



BANKS, SIR JOSEPH. 



613 



the idea was entertained and enlarged, so as to embrace a plan for a 

 general voyasre of discovery ; in pursuance of which the Lords of the 

 Admiralty, at whose head was the Earl of Sandwich, commissioned 

 the ' Endeavour,' under the command of Captain Cook, for the pro- 

 jected service. Banks, by the interest of the Earl of Sandwich, was 

 appointed, in conjunction with Dr. Solander, naturalist to the expedi- 

 tion, in which capacity, attended by two draughtsmen and four servants, 

 he sailed from Plymouth Sound, August 26, 1768. 



On touching at Rio de Janeiro, the jealousy of the Portuguese colo- 

 nial government forbade their exploring the South American shores; 

 but on arriving at Tierra del Fuego they disembarked, and, amid the 

 extreme rigours of the winter season in that extremity of the discovered 

 globe, acquired a splendid variety of botanical specimens. Here, in 

 the midst of a enow-storm, three of the attendants perished of cold, 

 and Mr. Rinks and Dr. Solander narrowly escaped with their lives. 

 On the 12th April 17G9, after sailing from Tierra del Fuego to Otaheite, 

 they finally anchored on one of the coasts of that island, and here, 

 during a space of four months, devoted essentially to the astronomical 

 objects of the visit, Mr. Banks acquired an intimate knowledge of the 

 natural history of the interior, as well as of the shores and waters of 

 the island. Nor was it only as a naturalist that he became con- 

 spicuous at Otaheite : his commanding appearance, frank and open 

 manners, and sound judgment, speedily obtained for him the regard 

 and deference of nil classes of the natives, among whom he was fre- 

 quently the arbiter of disputes. The expedition quitted Otaheite on 

 the 15th of August, and after traversing the seas surrounding New 

 Zealand, and New South Wales, came homeward by the way of 

 llatrvvia, and reached the Downs on the 12th of June 1771 the whole 

 period of the voyage having occupied nearly three years. Mr. Banks 

 was received in England with the highest marks of respect, and the 

 specimens which he brought, at so much risk and expense, to enrich 

 the science of natural history, excited much interest On the 10th of 

 August, by his majesty's express desire, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, 

 accompanied by Sir John Pringle, then president of the Royal Society, 

 attended at Richmond, where they had the honour of a private inter- 

 view, which lasted some hours. His majesty, at this time, conceived 

 a liking for the young traveller, which continued unimpaired to the 

 close of IIH public life. 



Soon after the arrival of Mr. Banks in London, he became entangled 

 in a dispute with the relations of one of his draughtsmen, Sydney 

 Parkinson, who had died in the course of the voyage. Parkinson's 

 relations accused Mr. Banks, by implication, of having unfairly taken 

 possession of various effects belonging to the deceased, independently 

 of drawings, which he claimed as the work of his own draughtsman. 

 Parkinson's relatives published his account of the voyage, with a 

 preface, containing their complaints of Mr. Banks's conduct, who 

 however appears not to have considered himself as called on to offer 

 any vindication of his conduct in the affair. 



After all the privations and dangers of this voyage, it required no 

 common strength of mind to encounter them a second time. Mr. 

 Banks however, at the solicitation of Lord Sandwich, made this offer 

 to government, which wag accepted ; and such was the expense of his 

 outfit, and so extensive the preparations he made, that he was obliged 

 to raise money for that purpose. He engaged Zoffany the painter, 

 three draughtsmen, two secretaries, and nine servants, acquainted 

 with the modes of preserving animals and plants ; but finding himself 

 thwarted by the comptroller of the navy, respecting the accommo- 

 dations in the ships (the ' Drake' and ' Ruleigh' were commissioned), 

 he gave up in disgust all idea of going upon a voyage in the outset 

 of which he had received such personal ill-treatment. Yet, although 

 he relinquished the voyage, he exerted himself, in every way in his 

 power, to promote the objects of it. Dr. James Lind, a very able 

 phyaician, bad received the appointment of naturalist, with a grant 

 from parliament of 4000i. This gentleman, upon Mr. Banks not 

 going, declined the offer, and Dr. John Reinhold Forater and his son, 

 through the interest of Mr. Banks, received it. Upon Mr. Forster's 

 ruturn, his drawings were purchased by Mr. Banks, and placed in his 

 library. 



In expectation of being engaged in another voyage of discovery, 

 although not in a king's ship, Mr. Banks, with a view to keep his fol- 

 lowers together, made a voyage to Iceland with his friend Dr. Solander. 

 He arrived there in August 1772, and returned in six weeks. The 

 Hebrides, which skirt the north-west coast of Scotland, lay near the 

 track of the voyage, and these adventurous naturalists were induced 

 to examine them. Among other things worthy of notice, they disco- 

 veivd the columnar stratification of the rocks surrounding the caves 

 of Staffa a phenomenon till then unobserved by naturalists an 

 account of which was published in the same year from Mr. Banks's 

 'Journal' by Mr. Pennant in his 'Tour in Scotland' (pp. 261-269). 

 The volcanic mountains, the hot springs, the siliceous rocks, the plants 

 and animals of Iceland, were all carefully surveyed in this voyage ; 

 and a rich harvest of new botanical specimens compensated for its toils 

 and expense. But it was nob to these objects alone that Mr. Banks 

 confined hia inquiries : he purchased at this time a very large collection 

 of Icelandic books and manuscripts, which he presented in 1773 to the 

 British Museum ; and he added another collection to it in 1783. 



In 1777, when Sir John Pringle retired from the presidency of the 

 Royal Society, Mr. Banks was elected to the vacant chair. The honour 



was just such a one as a lover of scientific pursuits, who was at the 

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

 desire ; and Mr. Banks devoted himself to its duties with the utmost 

 zeal. His exertions had the effect of procuring numerous valuable 

 communications, and of gaiuing an accession of persons of rank and 

 talent to the list of members, as well as exciting the whole body to 

 great diligence and activity. From the time of this appointment he 

 gave up all idea of leaving his country, and began to prepare for publi- 

 cation the rich store of botanical materials which he had collected. 



In March 1779 Mr. Banks married Dorothea, eldest daughter of 

 William Western Hugessen, Esq., of Provender, in the parish of Norton 

 in Kent ; and in 1781 was created a baronet. In 1782 he lost his friend 

 and fellow-labourer Dr. Solander, who died of an apoplectic fit. This 

 loss was a severe blow, and in consequence of it he gave up all inten- 

 tion of proceeding with his botanical work, or of writing anything 

 further than a few short memoirs, published either in a detached form, 

 or aa communications to the transactions of societies. 



For the first three or four years of Sir Joseph Banks's presidency of 

 the Royal Society all went on harmoniously ; but notwithstanding tho 

 zeal and assiduity with which -he devoted himself to the duties of his 

 office, discontents began to rise against him even amongst the most 

 eminent members of the society. A variety of complaints were indus- 

 triously circulated in regard to his conduct Those for which there 

 were perhaps the best grounds were, that the mathematical sciences, 

 the promotion of which was regarded as the chief object of the Royal 

 Society, were studiously kept in the background; and that the presi- 

 dent had assumed the exclusive right of nominating new members, 

 and had exerted his power so as to introduce unlearned and trifling 

 men of rank and influence, to the exclusion of the working men of 

 science. This unfriendly feeling was brought to the test in a meeting 

 of the society held on the 8th of January 1784, Dr. Horsley (after- 

 wards bishop of St. Asaph) being one of the most earnest opponents of 

 Sir Joseph. The motion made in favour of Sir Joseph Banks was how- 

 ever carried by a great majority, and the dissension soon after subsiding, 

 the society returned with new zeal and unanimity to its labours. 



On the 1st of July 1795 Sir Joseph Banks was invested with the 

 Order of the Bath, and on the 29th of March 1797 sworn of his 

 majesty's Privy Council In 1802 he was chosen a member of the 

 National Institute of France. Towards the close of life Sir Joseph 

 Banks, who in youth had possessed a robust constitution, was so 

 grievously afflicted by gout as in a great measure to lose the use of 

 his lower extremities. He endured the sufferings of disease with 

 patience and cheerfulness, and died at his house at Spring Grove, 

 June 19, 1820. He was buried at Heston, Middlesex. 



All the voyages of discovery which wore made under the auspices 

 of government for the last thirty years of Sir Joseph Banks's life had 

 either been suggested by him, or had received his approbation and 

 support. The African Association owed its origin to him ; and Led- 

 yard, Lucas, Houghton, and the unfortunate Muugo Park, all partook 

 of the care which lie extended to the enterprising traveller. He devised 

 the means of carrying the bread-fruit to the West Indies for cultivation 

 from Otaheite, and the mango from Bengal. He transferred the fruits 

 of Persia and Ceylon also successfully to the West Indies and to Europe. 

 The establishment of our colony at Botany Bay originated entirely with 

 him. In the affairs of the Board of Trade, of the Board of Agriculture, 

 and of the Mint, he was constantly consulted ; and he took a leading 

 part in the management of the Royal Gardens at Kew. He was a dis- 

 tinguished promoter also of the interests of the Horticultural Society 

 founded in 1804. His influence was frequently directed to soften to 

 men of science the inconveniences of the long war which followed the 

 French revolution ; to alleviate their sufferings in captivity ; or to 

 procure the restoration of their papers and collections when taken by 

 an enemy. Biron Cuvier, in his ' Eloge ' upon Sir Joseph Bank*, 

 mentions lhat, no less thau ten times, collections addressed to the 

 Jardin du Roi at Paris, and captured by the English, were restored by 

 his intercession to their original destination. His purse was always 

 open to promote the cause of science, and his library of natural history 

 always accessible to those who desired to consult it. His weekly con- 

 versazioni, during the sittings of the Royal Society, were attended by 

 persons the most distinguished in literature and science, whatever was 

 their rank in life or their country ; and during the forty-two years in 

 which he continued President of tho Royal Society he was indefatigable 

 as an official trustee in the management of the British Museum ; to 

 which institution, after innumerable gifts, he made a contingent bequest 

 of his scientific library, together with his foreign correspondence. The 

 library and correspondence are now deposited in the Museum. 



Sir Joseph Banks published two single tracts : 1. ' A Short Account 

 of the Cause of the Disease in Corn, called by the Farmers the Blight, 

 the Mildew, and the Rust,' 8vo, 1805, which was several times reprinted; 

 in 1806, with additions; again, with marginal annotations by an agri- 

 culturist (Sir Thomas Hanmer, Bart.) in 1807; and in 1814. 2. 'Cir- 

 cumstances relative to Merino Sheep, chiefly collected from the Spanish 

 Shepherds,' 4to, London, 1809. This tract had been originally com- 

 municated to the Board of Agriculture. He communicated numerous 

 papers in the 'Transactions 'of the Horticultural Society, the Liuuaian 

 Society's 'Transactions,' and the ' Archsoologia ' of tho Society of 

 Antiquaries." 



Among his manuscripts, and that portion of his library (not sciou- 



