Ixvi 
INTRODUCTION. 
“ a gainer by the late voyages, as that of botany. We are 
“ told * that, at leaft, twelve hundred new plants have 
44 been added to the known fyftem; and that very confi- 
44 derable additions have been made to every other branch 
44 of natural hiftory, by the great fkill and induftry of Sir' 
44 Jofeph Banks, and the other gentlemen f who have ac- 
44 companied Captain Cook for that purpofe.” 
To our naval officers in general, or to their learned af- 
fociates in the expeditions, all the foregoing improvements' 
of knowledge may be traced; but there is one very lingular 
improvement indeed, Rill behind, for which,, as we are 
folely indebted to Captain Cook, let us Hate it in his own 
words : 44 Whatever may be the public judgment about 
44 other matters, it is with real fatis faction, and without 
44 claiming any merit but that of attention to my duty* 
44 that I can conclude this account with an obfervation,, 
44 which facts enable me to make, that our having dif- 
44 covered the poffibility of preferving health amonglt a 
44 numerous ffiip’s company, for fuch a length of time, in 
44 fuch varieties of climate, and amidft fuch continued hard- 
44 Ihips and fatigues, will make this voyage remarkable, in 
44 the opinion of every benevolent perfon, when the dif- 
44 putes about a Southern continent lhall have ceafed to en- 
44 gage the attention, and to divide the judgment of philo- 
44 fophers 
* See Dr. Shepherd’s Preface, as above. 
t Dr. Solander, Dr. Forfter and his fon, and Dr. Sparman. Dr. Forfter has givers 
us a lpecimen of the botanical difcoveries of his voyage in the Charactered Generum Plan- 
tarum , &c. and much curious philofophical matter is contained in his Obfervations made 
in a Voyage round the World. Dr. Sparman alfo, on his return to Sweden, favoured us 
with a publication, in which he expatiates on the advantages accruing to natural hiflory, 
to aftronomy, geography, general phyfics, and navigation, from our South Sea voyages. 
t Cook’s Voyage, Vol. ii. p. 293. 
I 
5. But 
