DISCOVERY OF EASTERN AUSTRALIA 453 



which the Dutch had not examined. In a curious and not 

 very pleasing passage, he discusses the chance of capturing 

 Batavia, and decides that it is a very good one. The 

 defences are weak ; and, of every hundred soldiers who 

 arrive, at the end of the year, fifty are dead, twenty-five 

 in the hospital, and not ten in perfect health. Banks 

 evidently thought, as Bougainville had thought two years 

 before, that it would be well to claim a share in the spice 

 trade, in the teeth, which were not very sound teeth, 

 of the Dutch dog in the manger. 



The Endeavour sailed from Batavia on the 26th of " A hospital 

 December in good repair, though "in the condition of shlp- 

 a hospital ship." But they were out at sea again, and 

 there was no expectation of tragedy. But the disease 

 was in them, and broken health grew worse. Disasters 

 came fast, and Cook's Journal for this passage is mainly 

 a collection of conscientious obituary notices. Corporal 

 Trusslove died, " a man much esteemed by everybody 

 on board " ; then Mr. Sporing, " a gentleman belonging 

 to Mr. Banks's retinue " ; Mr. Sydney Parkinson, Natural 

 History painter to Mr. Banks, who left, in addition to 

 his pictures, an interesting Journal ; Mr. Green, the very 

 skilful, industrious, an3 courageous observer, who had 

 taken a successful Lunar when a hundred yards distant 

 from almost inevitable destruction on the Coral Reef, 

 but who had " lived in such a manner as greatly promoted 

 the disorders he had had long upon him " ; Midshipman 

 Monkhouse who had " fothered " the ship ; John Raven- 

 hill, the aged and much-drinking sailmaker, who perhaps 

 had not been permitted to be so invariably intemperate 

 on board as he had been on land. Twenty-three in all 

 died ; and those who did not die were hardly able to 

 tend the sails, and to nurse the sick. Banks, who had 

 himself " endured the pains of the damned almost," was 

 the only stricken man who recovered. 



At last the South- East trade- wind brought relief. They The barren- 

 came to Capetown in March 1771, and stayed a month. g ess t 

 The Australian, whose feelings have been a little hurt Africa, 

 by Banks's statement that his country is in every respect 



