ROUND THE WORLD WITH CAPTAIN COOK 25 



farther than the Nore without a fair wind ; that he 

 cannot, with safety to himself, attempt working her to 

 the Downs. Hope you know me too well to impute my 

 giving this intelligence to any ridiculous apprehensions 

 for myself. By God, I'll go to sea in a grog- tub, if re- 

 quired, or in the Resolution as soon as you please ; but 

 must say I think her by far the most unsafe ship I ever 

 saw or heard of. However, if you think proper to embark 

 for the South Pole in a ship which a pilot will not under- 

 take to carry down the river, all I can say is you shall be 

 cheerfully attended as long as we can keep above water." 

 Between this I2th of May and the 3ist, when Clerke 

 wrote again from Sheerness, Banks had ordered all his 

 stores to be removed from the ship ; Dr. Solander, Dr. 

 Lind, Mr. Zoffany, and the draughtsmen did likewise. The 

 unseaworthiness of the ship may have been occasioned 

 by the alterations which had been made to accommodate 

 the naturalists and their party. Be that as it may, a 

 protest reached the Admiralty Office, in accord with the 

 complaint made to Banks in this letter. In order to 

 avoid the possibility of the King's anger at this denouncing 

 of the ship, His Majesty was informed that it was all 

 on account of Mr. Banks's unreasonable demands. Upon 

 learning this, Banks instantly withdrew from the project. 1 



1 Toward the close of his life, Banks was consulted by Robert Brown 

 as to his recollection of the actual facts in this case. The following 

 paper (in Brown's handwriting) is preserved, among his collected letters 

 (vol. I), in the Natural History Museum. As the affair caused much 

 discussion at the period, and it has always been left an incoherent story, 

 it is worth while putting it here on record that Banks had a tale of his 

 own to tell about it : 



" Soon after my return from my voyage round the world, I was 

 solicited by Lord Sandwich, the first Lord of the Admiralty, to under- 

 take another voyage of the same nature. His solicitation was couched 

 in the following words : ' if you will go we send other ships.' So strong a 

 solicitation, agreeing exactly with my own desires, was not to be neg- 

 lected. I accordingly answered that I was ready and willing. The Navy 

 Board was then ordered to provide two ships proper for the service. This 

 they did and gave me notice when it was done. I immediately went on 

 board the principal ship and found her very improper for our purpose. 



