90 
SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 
Solander to Ellis. London, June 29th, 1775. 
I am in ho]>es of being able to wait upon you on Saturday next, and then to giv< 
you a full account, both of your paper on the Gorgonias, and also of your corals ii> 
Gray’s Inn. 
Captain Cook arrived, the 22nd of March last, at the Cape of Good Hope, without 
having lost a single man by sickness. He has not met with any continent, but 
found several islands not before seen by Europeans; some above 80 leagues long, 
most of them near the tropic. The largest he has called Xew Caledonia, it is 
situated a little to the eastward of New Britain, in 18 to 20° of south latitude. 
He has never been to the northward of the Aequator. He has been in 71° 10' 
south latitude, in 100° 30 west longitude; of course much further south than 
than any one before him. He has seen a prodigious quantity of ice, and some 
ice mountains, whose tops were covered with clouds. 
In the South Sea he saw no land in the high latitudes, but in coming from 
Tierra del Fiiego to the Cape of Good Hope he fell in with one island in 54°, and 
another in 59° ; both covered with snow and ice. 
The “ Re.solution ” is now expected every day. 
Mr. Forster, in a letter to Mr. Barrington, says he has discovered 260 new 
plants and 200 new animals. 
All the Indians they have visited have behaved well; even when he returned 
to Charlotte Sound, where Captain Furneaux lost some men, they received 
Captaiii Cook well.* 
Solander to Ellis. Friday morn, July 21, 1775. 
1 am afraid it will not be in my power to wait upon you on Sunday next, as I 
am under an engagement to go down as soon as the express arrives from Captain 
Cook, who is now daily expected, and may arrive by Sunday. However, I will 
soon wait upon you. I have received Mr. Irving’s note.f 
Solander to Ellis. London, August 28, 1775. 
Dr. Solander presents his compliments to Mr. Ellis, and sends him a map with 
the track of the two last ships; and also a copy of the Jalappa plate. It is exactly 
copied from the original drawing. If Mr. Ellis wants any more of them, they are 
at his service. 
Dr. Solander was last Saturday at Kew, where he saw Jlr. ilasson, who is lately 
come back from the Cape of Good Hope, with a great cargo of new jilants, all 
in perfect health. He has been 800 miles inland to the north of the Ca])e, and 
brought from thence a glorious collection. J 
Solander to Ellis. London, Jlay 4, 1776. 
The Bread Fruit of the South Sea Islands within the tropics, which was by us 
during several months daily eaten as a substitute for bread, was universallj’^ 
esteemed as palatable and as nourishing as bread itself. No one of the whole 
ship’s company complained when served with Bread Fruit in lieu of biscuit ; and 
from the health and strength of whole nations, whose principal food it is, I do not 
scru])le to call it one of the most useful vegetables in the world. Throughout a 
great part of the East Indies the same kind is found to grow wild ; and I do not 
doubt that the Socca, taken notice of in the eastern part of the East Indies, is in 
quality equal to that of the South Sea Islands. As it undoubtedly must be of the 
utmost consequence to bring so valuable a fruit to countries where the climate is 
favourable to a jjroduction which cannot bear cold, I think it would be necessary 
* Corresp. : Liiiiiacm, ii, 22. 
t Ib„ 23. 
t lb., 24. 
