4 J. H. MAIDEN. 



Hooker's father (Sir William) was a protege of Sir Joseph 

 Banks, and he had many reminiscences of the "The Father 

 of Australia," which he had received through the inter- 

 mediary of his own father, and thus he became a link with 

 very early Australian history. Similarly he learnt from 

 the paternal lips anecdotes and details of his father's 

 fellow-townsman, Sir J. E. Smith, founder of the Linnean 

 Society, and describer of many Australian plants, while he 

 was, though much the junior, the fellow-worker of Robert 

 Brown, botanicomm facile princeps, and the collaborator 

 with George Bentham, the two most brilliant botanists 

 whose names are engraved in the annals of Australian 

 botany. It startles one to be told that he was botanist on 

 the Antarctic Expedition "Erebus" and "Terror" (1839- 

 1842), and that, until quite recently, he had pleasant chat 

 of Sydney as he knew it, seventy years ago. 



Darwin had paid a brief visit to our land a few years 

 previously, and he and Hooker, both especially discrimin- 

 ating in their friendships, fortunately became attracted to 

 each other, and the latter performed signal services to his 

 friend, not only in enabling him to confidently (if such a 

 word be applicable to Darwin) launch his "Origin of 

 Species," and throughout the period of a long friendship, 

 his well-stored and analytical mind was always at the 

 service of his friend. It was especially valuable during 

 that period, now a matter of history, of education of the 

 public, of combating of ignorance and misrepresentation, 

 of kindly guidance of those whose mental elasticity was 

 not adequate to the sudden demand made upon it, and who, 

 searchers after truth, found it through roads more or less 

 difficult and long. 



One of the grenadiers of the old fighting line has passed 

 away, but not until the battle has long been won, and, 

 visiting the fields of his exploits he could pardonably say 

 11 But 'twas a famous victory !" 



