1768 



VOYAGE OF JOSEPH BANKS 161 



In November of the same year he again writes : — 



"Poor Mr. Banks! his undertakings are virtu in excess; 

 and I could almost wish he had followed your advice, and 

 sent a proxy.* But then he would have foregone the 

 honour and praise due to such a disinterested hazarding 

 of his life; which a very sensible man the other day told 

 me much more merited a peerage than the enterprise 

 undertaken by Lord Anson." 



On December 8th, 1769, writing to Pennant, he 

 refers to the difficulties which the expedition had 

 experienced at the hands of the Portuguese Govern- 

 ment : — 



"It is grievous to see from Dr. Solander's letter in the 

 'Gentleman's Magazine' dated from Eio de Janeiro with what 

 insolence the Viceroy of Brazil treated those gentlemen 

 who have hazarded their lives in the pursuit of natural 

 knowledge; and this is not the worst of it: for when they 

 arrive in the South Seas their reception will be just the 

 same from every Spanish Governor from Chile to Mexico." 



Mr. Banks' safe return in 1771 is referred to in 

 letters to the same correspondent of July and 

 September of that year. 



A short letter to Mr. Banks from Gilbert White, 

 dated April 21st 1768, is printed by Mr. Bell,t in 

 which he regrets that his correspondent and Mr. 

 Pennant could not visit him at that time, "but now 

 it seems that I must plod on by myself with few 



* Pennant paid the Rev. George Low to explore Orkney and Shetland 

 for him in 1774 and 1778. 



t Vide Bell's edition of 'The Natural History of Selborue,' vol. ii. pp. 

 241-242. 



VOL. I. — M 



