88 
SIR JOSEPH BAyKS. 
steward, and seven common men, to gather wild celery, in Grass Cove, a bay 
which we frequented every other day in our month’s staj' in the harbour. This 
place was not 6 miles from the anchoring- place ; and as the boat did not return 
the same evening, the Captain, the following morning, sent another boat to look 
out for them, when they soon learnt the fate of their comrades. They had been 
killed, cut up in proper joints, roasted, and partly eaten ; several baskets were 
found full of roasted pieces, some still hot, &c.. &c. Captain Fumeaux, not having 
got any orders or rendezvous appointed by Captain Cook, resolved to do as much 
as possible towards executing the tenor of the general orders, which was, to look 
out for land in the southern seas. He, therefore, sailed directly south from New 
Zealand, till he came into latitude 55°; and, afterwards, between that and 60°, 
continued his course eastward, chiefly in sight of ice, looking out for St. .Sebastian’s 
Land, and again for Cape Circumcision; but arrived, the 18th of March last, 
at the Cape of Good Hope, without having seen an inch of new land. From 
thence he arrived in England the end of last week. Obs . — -Notwithstanding he 
has not discovered any new lands, he has still made a glorious voyage; he has 
sailed round the globe, in a higher southern latitude than any ship before. He 
has proved that there is no large southern continent, and that the French pre- 
tended discoveries are small islands, instead of continents ; or perhaps, as mV 
friend Omai calls ice, things that the sun drives aw’ay, or causes to vanish. I 
have been so long wTiting this letter, that Omai is almost asleep. He will come 
out to Hampstead, and visit you, as soon as he has had the small pox. To-morrow 
we are to go out with him to Baron Dimsdale, who is appointed to perform the 
operation of inoculation, which I, with all my heart, wish may be attended with 
success. He is a well-behaved, intelligent man.* 
Solander to EUis. New Burlington-street, August 10, 1774. 
I am very much obliged to you for your last letter and the bottle from Greg, 
which I received just as I was setting out for Hertford to attend my friend Omai 
during his confinement for the small pox. I left him yesterday, when he was 
declared to be out of all danger. The small pox was come out, and seemed to be 
of a mild sort. I promised him to go down again next Friday, so that my short 
stay in town will not permit me to visit you till my return next week, which will 
be on Tuesday. Captain Furneaux has brought home a few seeds, which we 
divided among Aiton, Gordon, Lee, Forsvth, and Malcolm. A few have also 
been given to gentlemen. ^Ir. Topham Beauclerk has a greater number from 
!Mr. Baylej’ than the Captain had. I ho}je he will take care of them as his seeds 
seemed to be better preserved than the Captain's.4 
Solander to Ellis. London, October 13. 1774. 
I have read through Dr. Garden's account of the Electrical Eel. and think it 
a paper well worth publishing: I have also shown it to Sir John Pringle.7 who is 
of the same opinion. If the weather is not very bad. I purpose to wait upon you 
on Sunday next, and will then bring back this letter and talk over what you else 
have wrote about. § 
Solander to Ellis. London. Thursday, October 27. 1774. 
Do not imagine that anything shall alter my principles in regard to the friend- 
ship I owe to you as one of my first and best friends; you shall always find me 
a true friend and well-wisher. I am sorry if you should ever find reason to think 
otherwise of me. The reason why I so seldom can dispose of myself in the fore- 
• Corresp. : Linneus, ii, 14-18. 
t Ih., 18. 
t President of the Royal Society. 
S Corresp. ; Linnaeus, ii, 19. 
