BANKS’ INTEREST IN THE PROGRESS OF AUSTRALIA. l8l 
an interesting and thoughtful statement, written at a time when the 
East India Company’s Charter was felt to be cramping the trade 
activities of the young colony. 
One would expect a document of this kind to have been prepared 
by the Secretary of State instead of being the product of the benevolent 
watchfuhiess of a private gentleman, holding no post of profit, for such 
he was. 
Of Banks’ refreshing optimism in regard to the colony we have 
many instances. For example,* writing to Governor Hunter, on 30th 
March, 1797, he says: — 
The climate and soil are in my own opinion superior to most which have yet been 
settled by Europeans. I have always maintained that assertion, grounded on my 
own experience 
I see the future prospect of empire and dominion which now cannot be dis- 
appointed. Who knows but England may revive in New South Wales when it 
has sunk in Europe? 
A Uttle later, writing to Hunter, in February, 1799, f likewise during 
a time of grave national anxiety, he says : — 
Your colony is already a most valuable appendage to Great Britain, and I 
flatter myself we shall before it is long see her Ministers made sensible of its real 
value. Rest assured in the meantime that no opportunity will be lost by me of 
impressing them with just ideas of the probable importance to which it is likely 
before long to attain, and to urge them to pay to it that degree of attention which 
it clearly deserves at their hands. 
He early saw that this vast continent must be explored, and was 
itot new to the subject, since he had taken an active part in the 
exploration of Africa (he was a member of the African Association). 
On 15th May, 1798, he proposed to Under Secretary KingJ to send 
Mungo Park, recently returned from West African explorations, to 
explore the interior of New Holland. The plan was to penetrate 
the interior “ by its rivers or otherwise.” “ He will want a deck’d 
vessel of about 30 tons, under the command of a lieutenant, with 
orders to follow his advice in all matters of exploring.” Banks sug- 
gested this co-operation with Park to be undertaken by Flinders, but 
the suggestion to employ the former came to nothing. 
Banks says, in the letter quoted : — 
We have now occupied the country of New South Wales more than ten years; 
and so much has the discovery of the interior been neglected that no one article 
has hitherto been discovered, by the importation of which the mother country 
can receive any degree of return for the cost of founding and hitherto maintaining 
the colony. 
• Hist. Rec., iii, 202. 
t 10., 532. 
X 10., 383. 
