Upon his leaving the univerfity of Oxford, in the year
1763, he crofled the Atlantic, and vifited the coafts of Newfoundland
and Labradore. The danger, difficulty, and inconvenience
that attend long voyages are very different
in idea and experience; Mr. Banks however returned,
undifcouraged, from his firft expedition; and when he
found that the Endeavour was equipping for a voyage to
the South Seas, in order to obferve the Tranfit of Venus,
and afterwards attempt farther difcoveries, he determined
to embark in the expedition, that he might enrich his native
country with a tribute of knowlege from tfiofe which
have been hitherto unknown, and not without hope of
leaving _among the rude and uncultivated nations that he
might difcover, Something that would render life of more
value, and enrich them perhaps in a certain degree with
the knowlege, or at leaf! with the productions, of Europe.
As he was determined to fpare no expence in the execution
of his plan, he engaged Dr. Solander to accompany
him in the voyage. This Gentleman, by birth a Swede,,
was educated under the celebrated Linnaeus, from whom
he brought letters of recommendation into England, and
his merit, being foon known, he obtained an appointment
in the Britifh Mufaeum, a public institution which was
then juft eftablifhed; fuch a companion Mr. Banks con-
fidered as an acquifition of no fmall importance, and to
his great fatisfadtion the event abundantly proved that
he was not miftaken. He alfo took with him two draftsmen,
one to delineate views and figures, the other to
paint fuch fubjedis of natural hiftory as might offer; together
with a fecretary and four fervants, two of whom
were negroes.
Mr.
Mr. Banks kept an accurate and circumftantial journal of the
voyage, and, foon after I had received that of Captain Cook
from the Admiralty, was fo obliging as to put it into my hands,
with permiffion to take out of it whatever I thought would
improve or embellifh the narrative. This was an offer of
which I gladly and thankfully accepted: I knew the advantage
would be great, for few philofophers have fur-
nifhed materials for accounts of voyages undertaken to difcover
new countries. The adventurers in fuch expeditions
have generally looked only upon the great outline of Nature,
without attending to the variety of fhades within,
which give life and beauty to the piece.
The papers of Captain Cook contained a very particular
account of all the nautical incidents of the voyage, and a
very minute description of the figure and extent of the
countries he had vifited, with the bearings of the headlands
and bays that diverfify the coafts, the fituation of the
harbours in which Shipping may obtain refreshments, with
the depth of water wherever there were foundings; the
latitudes, longitudes, variation of the needle, and fuch
other particulars as lay in his department; and abundantly
Shewed him to be an excellent officer, and Skilful navigator.
But in, the papers which were communicated to
me by Mr. Banks, I found a great variety of incidents
which had not come under the notice of Captain Cook,
with defcriptions of countries and people, their productions,
manners, cuftoms, religion, policy, and language,
much more full and particular than were expected from a
Gentleman whole Ration and office naturally turned his
principal attention to other objedts; for thefe particulars,
therefore, befides many practical obfervations, the Public
5 .