the week of the anniversary of the Royal Society, when he is necessarily so much occupied. He will certainly to-morrow pay his respects where they are so justly due."

A few days afterward, there was a similar interchange of communication with Mr. James Watt, between whom and Sir Joseph there was much friendly intercourse. But Banks was not to be moved. He had seen no proofs of the efficacy of the new system; and he ventured to repeat the suggestion that "the medical gentlemen, many of whom are in the most affluent circumstances, should lead the way" by their subscriptions and by their moral support. . . . " You flatter me by saying that my name will be of use to Dr. Beddoes. If it is capable of being useful in attracting other subscribers it is because I have been careful hitherto not to annex it, in any matter of importance to humanity, unless I had sufficient conviction of the probability of its success. In the case of Dr. Beddoes I do not fully understand it. . . . I hope, Sir, this argument will satisfy you that I am not unreasonable in requesting that I may not be pressed any more by the Doctor's friends to do what I have already formally declined to do."

By the help of James Watt, R. L. Edgeworth, and other liberal friends, the Pneumatic Hospital was opened at Bristol in 1798, and lasted a few years.

S

CHAPTER XII

EUROPEAN FAME

IR JOSEPH BANKS was not only mindful of the courtesies due to foreign savants from their friends in England. He extended toward them

a hand full of zeal and warmth. The prevalent knowledge of this fact had much to do with the respect in which he was held throughout Europe, and the reverence usually paid to the Royal Society.

One incident that occurred during the period of the French Revolution is so characteristic of him that it may be presented with some detail.

The explorer, La Pérouse, was long overdue. He was last seen at Botany Bay early in 1788. The National Assembly at length sent out a search Expedition, under the command of Joseph D'Entrecasteaux, in September, 1791. He was accompanied by the botanist La Billardière, charged with the natural history department of the Expedition. This latter gentleman was well known to Banks, in whose house he had spent much time studying the collection of plants, minerals, etc., stored in Soho Square. At the request of La Billardière, Sir Joseph wrote a series of instructions for his use, politely disclaiming, meanwhile, that it was in his power to teach him anything new.

The voyage of D'Entrecasteaux was in every way successful, except as to finding any trace of La Pérouse. He had reached the neighbourhood of Java with hopes of a speedy end of his long cruise. But here misfortunes

began. The Captain succumbed to a complication of scurvy and dysentery. The command fell upon De Rossel, who had the ill-luck to discover that it was wartime. His ships and his treasures were seized by a British frigate, and La Billardière's valuable collection of plants, birds, etc., was brought to England. The Duc d'Harcourt, an émigré officer in the British service, appears to have been the captor; and on his arrival in London he proposed to the Queen's Chamberlain that the fine Herbarium now in his hands should be presented to Her Majesty. Major Price forthwith wrote to Sir Joseph Banks, asking him to visit Harcourt House and inspect the collection with a view to determine whether the whole, or a part, should be added to that of Her Majesty.

Sir Joseph Banks to Major William Price.

"SOHO SQUARE, March 31, 1796. "MY DEAR SIR,-In consequence of my sending on Tuesday morning to Harcourt House, in order to learn whether orders were left for my having admission to see the collections there during Lord Harcourt's absence, I received a letter from the Duke . . of the whole curiosities collected on board the Discovery ships that were commanded by M. D'Entrecasteaux, and that they are offered as a present to the Queen by the King of France.1 . . . They consist of a vast Herbarium, collected in all the places at which the ships touched, a large collection of dried Birds, a considerable number of dried Lizards and Snakes, some Fish in spirits, and some Insects which are said to be much damaged.

The collection of plants bears testimony to an industry all but indefatigable in the botanists who were employed,

1i.e. Louis XVII, who was, by a legal fiction, the sovereign of the d'Harcourts.

the chief of whom I am sorry to say was the principal fomenter of the mutiny which took place in the ships, built upon the strongest Jacobin principles. . . .1 1

"As the duplicates would serve no purpose but to encumber Her Majesty, I shall with pleasure, if I am honoured with Her Royal commands, undertake to select a complete collection of one good specimen of such species; but as individual specimens from whence they are to be taken cannot number less than ten thousand, every one of which must be separately examined, I dare not undertake to complete the work in less than a year from the present time.

"The Birds are in tolerable preservation, and many of them extremely beautiful. If Her Majesty chooses to make a collection, I would by all means advise Her Majesty to accept them. There are about twelve hundred, many of them quite new. The cost, however, of stuffing them. . . and providing glass cases to contain them, would amount to several hundred pounds. The Snakes and Lizards are dried. They might be mixed with the Birds, as some of them are not only curious but as handsome as such reptiles can be. . .

"Provided, as I conclude is likely to be the case, that Her Majesty does not choose to encumber herself with the stuffed animals, a word from her would probably direct the Duc d'Harcourt's attention toward the British Museum, where they would become a National ornament, and promote materially the knowledge of Natural History. . . .'

Further, there is a suggestion that the charts and sketches would be best placed in the King's library, "where men of real Science have always access, in a

It was a curious complication of affairs. The naval officers were adherents of the White Flag, and the naturalists were all republicans.

manner that does honour to the King's liberal mind and the proper discrimination of his Librarian.”

The spoil thus disposed of, Sir Joseph had probably begun his self-imposed task of examination and selection, graciously accepted by the Queen. Five months elapsed. Then representations were made, apparently from Jussieu, which caused Banks to look at the recent windfall in a new light. The French Directory wished to rescue the Prize on behalf of their nation. There were those in England who objected to the restoration of the Collection, and used the strong language of the period, about Regicides and Cockatrices; but they mostly yielded to Banks's opinion on the subject. The following excellent letter tells the whole story, from his point of view.

Sir Joseph Banks to Major Price.

"MY DEAR SIR,-Since I had the honour of writing to you on the subject of the Collection of Curiosities offered by the Duc d'Harcourt as a present to the Queen, the whole of the business relating to these things has taken a very different form. I sincerely hope it will not be productive of any disappointment to Her Majesty, and I feel it my duty to do all in my power to obviate as much as I am able all possibility of that being the case.

When the Collection was offered to the Queen it was supposed by all who were concerned in making the offer that it belonged to the present King of France; and it was believed that the late King interested himself personally in directing the outfit of the voyage, and that His Majesty actually employed on his own service the persons engaged to make Collections. An application having since been made by the Directory of France, requesting that the collection might be returned to M. de Billardière, in the same manner as M. Ulloa's papers