20 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



Green, the astronomer, who had successfully observed the 

 Transit of Venus, and was thus deprived of the personal 

 renown which awaited him at home. Monkhouse, the 

 surgeon, had died on shore. Sporing and Parkinson 

 followed. Cook was taken ill, and Banks and his friend 

 Solander were brought very near to death's door. In all, 

 thirty-eight persons perished during the voyage, most of 

 them in consequence of the malarial climate of Batavia. 

 In a social sense, the Expedition was fortunate every- 

 where, except at Rio Janeiro, where the authorities 

 had been indisposed to entertain the voyagers, and even 

 regarded their errand with suspicion. At the Dutch 

 settlements in Java, people were extremely friendly and 

 hospitable. And wherever they had to do with indigenous 

 natives (which both Cook and Banks always call Indians) 

 they lived on amicable terms. Any differences that did 

 arise were owing to petty thefts. During their stay of 

 three months at Otaheite there were no misunderstandings 

 of a lasting character. One of the natives, Tupia, in 

 company with his little son, joined the ship on leaving 

 Otaheite ; but these unfortunately died at Batavia. 



The ship herself escaped any serious trouble until she 

 was among the reefs off the coast of Australia. On one 

 day they had almost given up hopes of escape from utter 

 shipwreck. What appeared to be a fatal leak, however, 

 aroused the ingenuity of a midshipman, Jonathan Monk- 

 house, who suggested the operation of " fothering," i.e. 

 preparing a sail in such manner as to cover the leak and 

 arrest the flow of water into the ship's hold. On later 

 examination of the damaged hull, it was found that a 

 piece of rock had broken off and was fixed in the rent. 

 This unique circumstance had really saved the ship, by 

 delaying the influx of water in the first instance. 



The Endeavour had been a long time absent from home. 

 People began to wonder whether she would ever be heard 



