NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. 175 



Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart., K.B., F.R.S. 

 Macmillan & Co. 1896. 



To once more sail the seas with Capt. Cook, and again 

 discover islands which are now visited weekly by ocean liners ; to 

 reperuse in current literature a description of the manners and 

 customs of native races who are now either improved off the face 

 of the earth, or vulgarized by the veneer of an unreal civili- 

 zation, we thought impossible. Cook's ' Voyages ' are now prin- 

 cipally consulted by the ethnologist, or by those readers of light 

 and leisure who still care to study the makings of the Greater 

 Britain. We therefore owe a debt of gratitude to Sir Joseph 

 Hooker for having taken us back to the geographical discoveries 

 of some hundred years ago by publishing the journals of Sir 

 Joseph Banks, written when as naturalist he accompanied Capt. 

 Cook in the ' Endeavour ' voyage of 1768-71. 



Banks belonged to those select few who combine an ardent 

 love of science with ample pecuniary means, and he proved a true 

 patron of natural history. Thus we are told that when he 

 decided to avail himself of the opportunity of exploring the then 

 unknown Pacific Ocean, — "at his own expense, stated by Ellis 

 to be £10,000, he furnished all the stores needed to make com- 

 plete collections in every branch of natural science, and engaged 

 Dr. Solander, four draughtsmen or artists, and a staff of servants 

 (or nine in all) to accompany him." 



Most of the zoological observations recorded relate to animals 

 which are very much better known now than then, but they are 

 always interesting and sometimes almost fresh. Thus we learn 

 that the Albatross devours Physalice, of which " an Albatross 

 that I had shot discharged a large quantity, incredible as it may 

 appear that an animal should feed upon this blubber, whose 

 innumerable stings give a much more acute pain to a hand which 

 touches them than nettles." 



Although in those days the zoologist experienced the greatest 

 surprises when these expeditions returned with their natural 

 history collections, he had still to be regaled with some " travel- 

 ler's tales." Thus, while at New Zealand and while drawing on 

 shore, Mr. Sporing " saw a most strange bird fly over his head. 

 He described it as being about as large as a Kite, and brown like 



