28 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



One of these publications appeared as early as Sep- 

 tember, 1771 : Journal of a Voyage round the World in 

 the Endeavour. 1 This was published by Thomas Beckett, 

 bookseller in the Strand, who in capacity of Editor, says, 

 " I considered to [publish] it from the agreeable manner 

 in which it was written, as well as by the honourable 

 mention that is made of the ingenious gentlemen, Mr. 

 Banks and Mr. Solander, and I am convinced it is the 

 production of a gentleman and a scholar." The in- 

 dividual's name was never divulged. No less than ten 

 private journals were handed over to Cook at his request, 

 but this " gentleman " appears to have evaded it. The 

 special interest attaching to the book occurs in the 

 narrator's allusion to the disagreeable consequences 

 resulting from the behaviour of some of the crew, while 

 on shore at Otaheite ; and the inference drawn that a 

 French crew had been there before them. 



Perhaps the writer of this journal (if not the person who 

 put it into literary form) is B. Lauragais, who wrote to 

 Banks in the spring of 1772. Alluding to the reproaches 

 he was expecting, he says, " which, I think, I am so little 

 deserving of, that when I informed you lately of the con- 

 sent I had given to the printing of the French galanteries 

 at Otaheite, I imagined you answered you would be 

 glad of it : considering that nothing was contained in 

 that little narrative but what was true, and at the same 

 time honourable to you. ... I believe that less dis- 

 advantage can arise from printing our writings than in 

 permitting Thousand Falsehoods to be spread abroad 

 supposed to be related by us. Being actuated by these 

 motives, I have permitted the printing of them ; and 

 my consent was solicited by a man to whom I had given 

 my manuscript. . . . The printer is so eager to sell them 

 that he does little care for correction." 



1 Transl. into French by A. F. J. de Freville : Supplement an 

 Voyage de Bougainville, etc. (Paris, 1772). 



