EARLY YEARS 5 



After suitable preparation at home, young Banks was 

 placed at Harrow School, where he spent about four 

 years. At thirteen he was sent to Eton. The master 

 soon recognized a cheerful and generous disposition, but 

 it was disappointing that he did not promise to be a 

 scholar. He was obviously an open-air boy ; fond of 

 sport and play ; not incapable of attentive study, yet 

 not disposed to it in a " bookish " sense. Activity and 

 energy in out-of-door pursuits was his most characteristic 

 feature. This, of course, made for honour with his school- 

 fellows, with whom he speedily became very popular. 



One of his chosen associates was Mr. Brougham, father 

 of the future Chancellor. They were of the same age ; 

 were both fond of long walks, and expert in swimming. 

 " My father described him as a remarkably fine-looking, 

 strong, and active boy, whom no fatigue could subdue, 

 and no peril daunt ; and his whole time out of school was 

 given up to hunting after plants and insects, making a 

 hortus siccus of the one, and forming a cabinet of the other. 

 As often as Banks could induce him to quit his task in 

 reading or in verse-making, he would take him on his 

 long rambles ; and I suppose it was from this early taste 

 that we had at Brougham so many butterflies, beetles, and 

 other insects, as well as a cabinet of shells and fossils." 1 



This taste for Natural Science was doubtless innate, 

 only awakened by the accidents of his environment. 

 The circumstance which somewhat altered his habits and 

 made him a keen observer of nature was related by Banks 

 in after years to his friend Sir Everard Home. 2 One day 

 he had been bathing with his fellow Etonians ; and on 

 coming out of the water to dress he found that all but 

 himself had gone away. Having put on his clothes, he 

 walked slowly along a green lane. It was a fine summer's 



1 Brougham : Lives of Men of Letters and Science Who Flourished 

 in the Time of George III. 



2 Hunter ian oration. 



