CHAPTER XIX 

 SOME FRIENDS OF LATER YEARS 



ONE of the closest friends of Banks was William 

 Marsden, the orientalist, some ten years his 

 junior, and F.R.S. in 1783. Marsden was 

 in the service of the East India Company, 

 in the island of Sumatra, from 1771-9. He was a man 

 who could never be idle. He studied everything that 

 came before his notice, including the difficult Malay 

 tongue, and the people and resources of Sumatra. He 

 was really happy in Sumatra ; but news came to him of 

 the attention paid to travellers, and the spirit of curiosity 

 excited, among the learned classes at home. The publica- 

 tion of Cook's voyages quite aroused him. In his own 

 words, " the contemplation of these circumstances raised 

 in my breast a longing desire to be allowed the oppor- 

 tunity of associating with such men, and to become a 

 participator in their liberal pursuits." At first his plan 

 was to devote himself to the literary life, satisfied with his 

 small income. But he found it would suit him better to 

 have a really active life, if he were to take the place in the 

 world that he coveted, and became an East India Agent, 

 with head-quarters in Gower Street. In 1781 he was 

 offered an introduction to Sir Joseph Banks (by Captain 

 Thomas Forrest, noted for his voyage to New Guinea). 



" On March i I made my appearance at his^breakfast 

 table, where I found an assemblage of about a dozen 

 persons eminent in Science and different branches of 

 knowledge. Among them were Dr. Solander, Dr. Mas- 



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