PREFACE ix 



perhaps, the most notable feature of his career. To this 

 are to be added so many public functions that, as will be 

 seen, there was scarcely any important movement in 

 which he had not an active share. The Society of Arts, 

 the Society of Antiquaries, the Linnean Society, the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, and a host of local institutions of 

 similar character all over Europe, found in him an active 

 friend. They still continue to hold his name in veneration. 

 There were enthusiastic naturalists of his day in France 

 and Germany, Sweden, Italy, and Russia, who held 

 Banks to be the greatest living Englishman. And no 

 wonder. He had shared the famous circumnavigation 

 with Captain Cook ; he subsidized botanists and ex- 

 plorers all over the world ; his natural history collections 

 were at the service of everybody ; he made Kew the 

 botanical Mecca. It was Banks who inspired the famous 

 adventure of Captain Bligh for transplanting the bread- 

 fruit, and ultimately made it successful. The botanic 

 gardens in India and our Colonies have traditions of 

 Banks that they will never lose. 



The papers and journals of Banks have been long 

 since dispersed. But the British Museum has rescued 

 from autograph-hunters and others a great number of 

 letters addressed to him. At the Natural History Museum 

 is a collection of some two thousand copies of letters and 

 semi-official documents, which were written under the 

 care of Mr. Dawson Turner. Beside these, there are 

 in the custody of the Director at Kew several hundred 

 letters, chiefly from Banks's botanical and scientific 

 friends. Upon all these, I have been able to trace at least 

 a fair outline of Sir Joseph's career. I have to thank 



