iv P R E F A c e:
execution before. The greateft navigator of his time, two :
able aftronomers, a man of fcience to ftudy nature in all her
receffes, and a painter to copy fome of her moft curious-
produftions-, were felefted at the expence of the nation.
After completing their voyage, they have prepared to give
an account of their refpective difcoveries, which cannot fail
of crowning, their employers at leaft, with immortal '
honour.
The BritiOi legislature did not fend out and liberally fup-
port my father as a naturalift, who was merely to bring
home a colleftion of butterflies and dried plants. That
fuperior wifdom which guides the counfels of this nation,
induced many perfons of confiderable diftinftion to aft on
this occafion with unexampled greatnefs. So far from
prefcribing rules for his conduft, they conceived that the
man whom they had chafen, prompted by his natural love
of fcience, would endeavour to derive the greateft poflible
advantages to learning from his voyage. He was only
therefore direfted to exercife all his talents, and to extend
his obfervations to every remarkably objeft. From him
they expefted a philofophical hiftory of the voyage, free
from prejudice and vulgar error, where human nature
fhould be reprefented without any adherence to fallacious
fyftems, and upon the principles of general philanthropy
in ftiort, an account written upon a plan which the learned
world had not hitherto feen executed.
My father performed the voyage, and collected his ob-
flrvations agreeably to the ideas which had thus been entertained
of him. Fully refolved to complete the purpofe of
his million, and to communicate his, difcoveries to the public,
and not allowing himfelf any time to reft from the fatigues
which he had undergone, he infcribed and prefented
the firft fpecimen of his labours to his majefty within four
months after his return *1 The hiftory of the voyage, the
principal'performance which was demanded at his hands,
next engrofled his whole attention. It was at firft propofed,
that from his own and captain Cook’s- journals a fingle
narrative fhould be compofed, in which theftmportant obfervations
of each fhould be inferted, and referred to their
proper authors by different marks. My father received a
part of captain Cook’s journal, and drew up feveral fheets
as a fpecimen ; however, as it was foon after thought more
expedient to feparate the two journals, this plan was not
profecuted. The Right Hon. the Lords Commiflioners of
the Admiralty; being defirous of ornamenting the account
of the late difcoveries with a number of plates, engraved
after the drawing of the artift who went on the voyage,
generoufly granted the whole expence of the engraving -f-
* Chara&eres Generum Plantarum quas in Infulis maris auftralis colleg, & c . .
Joannes Reinoldus Forfter, L L . D. & Georgius Forfter. 4to. Lond. 1776.
f. T h is cxpence amounts to upwards o f 2000/, all the plates being executed by
the ableft artiftsv’