I02 CAPTAIN COOK 



portable beef-tea, saloop, mustard, preserved 

 carrots, orange and lemon jelly and thickened 

 beer-wort. Thanks to the measured consumption 

 of these substances, scurvy was to be for ever 

 banished from future voyages. Cook's fore- 

 thought had delivered humanity from a menac- 

 ing scourge, and considerably diminished mor- 

 tality during long sea voyages. 



Banks and Dr. Solander had decided to sail in 

 the Resolution, accompanied by a train of nat- 

 uralists, draughtsmen and servants. Banks, who 

 liked comfort and did not spare expense to pro- 

 cure it, had extra cabins built on the poop, and 

 also had alterations carried out to accommodate 

 his baggage. When this was completed, and all 

 the scientific instruments and cases were put on 

 board, it was found that the deeply laden vessel 

 drew seventeen feet, which was considered much 

 greater than her proper draught. The Admi- 

 ralty, considering that the new cabins added an 

 extra weight which would interfere with the 

 working of the ship, ordered Cook to do away 

 with them. Banks, fancying that he would not 

 be comfortable enough, thereupon, with all his 

 followers, declined to accompany the expedi- 

 tion. The English Press made a good deal of 

 this incident, and some papers declared that the 

 question of accommodation was merely a pretext, 



