62 
SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 
66 plates; of those of Brazil — 1 sketch, 37 finished drawings, and 23 plates; of 
those of Java — 72 sketches, 44 finished drawings, and 29 plates ; of those of 
Maileira — 2 sketches, 22 finished lira wings, and 1 1 j)lates ; making a total of 
675 sketches, 863 finished drawings, and 742 co|)per plates, of which 722 are 
represented in the collection of engravings. — (J. Britten, op. cit.) 
Georg Dionysius Ehret (1710-1770). 
Born at Baden in 1710. After working for Jussieu in France, he 
settled in England in 1740, and supplied the illustrations for Trew’s 
“Planta; Selectae,” and Brown’s “History of Jamaica.” He also painted 
a large botanical collection for the Duchess of Portland. 
He published the celebrated plate of Linnaeus’ twenty-four classes. 
He was the most distinguished botanical artist of his time. His 
figures of Banks’ Newfoundland plants have already been referred to. 
I proceed to give some notes in regard to Banks’ other artists. 
First of all let us deal with the “ Endeavour.” 
Sydney Parkinson. 
He is the best known of the artists of the “ Endeavour.” 
The biography of Sydney Parkinson, the draughtsman to whom the figures of 
the plants and animals observed on the voyage are due, is sufficiently recorded in 
the preface to his “.Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas in H.M.S. Endeavour,’ ”* 
published after his death, and edited by his brother Stanfield; ' it a few words 
may be said with special reference to his connection with Banks. His brother 
tells us that he was put to the business of a woollen-draper ; but, taking a particular 
delight in drawing flowers, fruits, and other objects of natural history, he became 
so great a proficient in that style of painting, as to attract the notice of the most 
celebrated botanists and connoisseurs in that study. In consequence of this, 
he was, some time after his arrival in London, recommended to Joseph Banks, 
Esq., “whose very numerous collection of elegant and highly-finished drawings 
of that kind, executed by Sydney Parkinson, is a sufficient testimony both of his 
talents and apjilication.’’ This collection included forty drawings of animals 
made from figures and specimens brought from India by John Gideon Loten, 
Governor of Ceylon, and twelve drawings of jilants (1767-8), which, like those of 
the animals, are on vellum. Two, of Indian jilants, are probably from the 
drawings brought back by Loten ; others are noted as from “ Mr. Lee, Hammer- 
smith,” and “ Kew.” According to the “ Dictionary of National Biography,” it 
was by the advice of James Lee (not “ an artist,” but the well-known nurseryman 
of Hammersmith) that Parkinson was engaged by Banks to accompanj’^ the 
voyage to the South Seas. He ihed during the return voyage on January 26th, 
1771. 
The total number of drawings made by Parkinson during the voyage was 955, 
of which 675 were sketches and 280 finished drawings. All the Australian and 
most of the New Zealand ones are sketches ; those from Brazil, Madeira, Tierra 
del Fuego, anil the Friendly Islands are nearly all finished ilrawings; of the Java 
plants there are 44 finished drawings ami 72 sketches — in a few cases there are 
both sketch and finisheil drawings of the same jilant. On the back of each finished 
drawing are pencil notes by Parkinson, indicating the colour of the leaves, flowers, 
&c., and the locality is added in Banks’ hand.j' 
♦ A quarto, published in 1773, witli twenty-seven engraved plates of scenery, buildings, natives, 
implements, <fec., of New Zealand, Otaheite, and Tierra del Fuego. 
t J. Britten, op. cit. 
