MAECENAS AND HIS HAPPENINGS 167 



navigation. It was always safe for any one of them 

 who had won his personal regard to ask a favour of him. 

 So it happened that several of Captain Cook's shipmates 

 were on friendly terms with Sir Joseph all his life long. 

 One of these, more important than others, was Sigismund 

 Bacstrom, M.D., who had been taken on the Adventure for 

 the second circumnavigation, and was withdrawn along 

 with others of Banks's suite. He went to Iceland with the 

 yachting party, and was in touch with Banks for several 

 years. Afterwards he knocked about the world as 

 surgeon on board various ships. 1 



Bacstrom renewed his acquaintance with Sir Joseph 

 Banks in the year 1786. He was in distress in London, 

 and remembered Banks's " kind and generous treatment " 

 when in his service. He had since been on several 

 voyages ; had given satisfaction and earned little. He 

 hopes Sir Joseph will recommend him to a situation ; 

 he could act as tutor to one or two young gentlemen, or 

 attend an infirm gentleman going abroad for his health ; 

 he knows several languages, and could assist in chemical 

 experiments, " not the Lapis Philosophorum seu potius 

 Insanorum, but honest investigation of the operations of 

 Nature." Better than this, and more in Banks's line, 

 he had discovered how to " increase the fertility of 

 vegetation, by means of proper Natural Magnets." 

 Corn, Wheat, Rye, and especially the Vine, received an 

 enormous impulse from the use of his plan. Hearing 

 that the Government intended colonizing Botany Bay, 

 Bacstrom was willing to join the Expedition ; and would 

 bring home plants, seeds, shells, minerals, etc. Some 

 assistance was given to him in his immediate distress. 

 We do not hear of him again until 1791, when once more 

 Sir Joseph opened his purse, and wrote sympathetically. 

 Matters now looked brighter. Bacstrom was fortunate 



1 He printed an interesting account of a voyage to Spitzbergen in 

 the Rising Sun, Captain Souter (London, 1780). 



