238 THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH BANKS 



He was very well received at the Admiralty. Croker, 

 and Barrow, and Yorke showed a disposition to appreciate 

 his misfortunes, and to consider that he had creditably 

 added to the annals of the British sailor. Banks was 

 very cordial to " his countryman," as he called him 

 for Flinders came from Lincolnshire. He died in 1814, 

 his impaired constitution lasting only long enough 

 to permit him to finish writing the story of his Voyage to 

 Terra Amtralis. 



Several years elapsed before the botanists heard any- 

 thing of their unlucky leader. 



Meanwhile, affairs at Port Jackson went on with 

 tranquillity, tempered by zeal in the study of Natural 

 History. George Caley joined the party, as suggested 

 by Sir Joseph Banks. The loss of the previous collections 

 was made good, and an immense number of plants, etc., 

 were made ready for dispatch to England. Governor 

 King visited their garden whenever the botanists were 

 absent collecting, and entered heartily into all their plans 

 for safely transporting them across the ocean. As far as 

 plants and seeds were concerned, most of the work had 

 to be done anew, on account of the loss of the Porpoise. 



Nearly two years elapsed before the decision was 

 made to go home. After much difficulty in finding a 

 suitable ship, it was determined to utilize the old In- 

 vestigator. Governor King found that though her upper 

 works were practically rotten, the hull was tight and sea- 

 worthy. And Brown and Bauer might go with their 

 collections safely and successfully. The remaining garden 

 was left in Caley's hands, who proposed to take to 

 England his collections by a later opportunity. 



Mr. King was careful to provide a safe conduct for the 

 ship as far as he could, in a letter to the " Prefect or 

 Officer, civil or military, commanding in any port belong- 

 ing to the French Republic where H.B.M.'s ship the 

 Investigator may eventually be carried," with a view of 



