12 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



pealed to him in that country. He made fresh friends 

 there, and afterwards joined a club or society devoted 

 to the study of Natural History, with which he kept in 

 touch by correspondence after reaching home. Early 

 in the spring his friend Captain Adams sailed for England. 1 



After his return, Banks divided his home into alternate 

 stay at Revesby Abbey and in New Burlington Street. 

 Upon his Lincolnshire estate he was arduous in studying 

 methods of agriculture, which, in his eyes, was really a 

 branch of botanical science. He made his first appear- 

 ance at the Royal Society on February 15, 1767. The 

 Labrador expedition was thought well of in the scientific 

 world. It was suggested to him that he would be ex- 

 pected to produce a report on the excursion for the 

 benefit of the Royal Society. But nothing of the kind 

 was done : probably on account of shyness, a trait which 

 was visible in Banks at this period of his life and even 

 for some years later. 



During these early years, Banks seems to have been 

 very fond of rambling about the country. There was 

 always a tour in prospect as soon as summer impended. 

 It is much to be regretted that we know this only from 

 scanty inferences. Two trips were undertaken this year. 

 Happily, there is record of one of these ; 2 a journey by 

 way of Dorset and Somerset to Bristol. It is not clear 

 whether Banks had a companion. His friend, Richard 

 Kaye, is mentioned once, and may have been fellow- 

 traveller all the way. Banks was now adding archaeology 

 to his means of culture. 



He started May 15 for Dorsetshire, reaching Eastbury 

 House, in Tarrant Gunville, the same night. There 

 was a barrow to be examined in the park. At Chettle, 



1 There were journals of this excursion kept by Banks, which were 

 dispersed at the sale of his MSS. in 1886. But a copy of the New- 

 foundland portion (in the handwriting of Miss Banks) is preserved at 

 the Natural History Museum. 



2 Printed by the Bristol Naturalists' Society, VI, pp. 6 ct seq. (1899). 



