that institution, and in 1764 elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. It was in 1767 that he first made the acquaintance of Banks, who, when he had in the following year resolved to accompany Cook to the Pacific, induced Solander to go with him. His situation in the Museum was kept open for him, a deputy being put in to act during his absence with Banks. An extract from a letter from Ellis to Linnæus gives a clear idea of the arrangements made for the journey:—
I must now inform you that Joseph Banks, Esq., a gentleman of £6000 per annum estate, has prevailed on your pupil, Dr. Solander, to accompany him in the ship that carries the English astronomers to the new-discovered country in the South Sea[1] . . . where they are to collect all the natural curiosities of the place, and, after the astronomers have finished their observations on the transit of Venus, they are to proceed under the direction of Mr. Banks, by order of the Lords of the Admiralty, on further discoveries. . . . No people ever went to sea better fitted out for the purpose of natural history, nor more elegantly. They have got a fine library of natural history: they have all sorts of machines for catching and preserving insects; all kinds of nets, trawls, drags, and hooks for coral fishing; they have even a curious contrivance of a telescope by which, put into the water, you can see the bottom at a great depth, where it is clear. They have many cases of bottles with ground stoppers, of several sizes, to preserve animals in spirits. They have the several sorts of salts to surround the seeds; and wax, both bees'-wax and that of the Myrica; besides, there are many people whose sole business it is to attend them for this very purpose. They have two painters and draughtsmen, several volunteers who have a tolerable notion of natural history; in short, Solander assured me this expedition would cost Mr. Banks £10,000. . . . About three days ago I took my leave of Solander, when he assured me he would write to you and to all his family, and acquaint them with the particulars of this expedition. I must observe to you that his places are secured to him, and he has promises from persons in power of much better preferment on his return. Everybody here parted from him with reluctance, for no man was ever more beloved, and in so great esteem with the public from his affable and polite behaviour.
On his return from the South Seas, Dr. Solander was installed under Banks's roof in Soho Square as his secretary and librarian; and at the British Museum he was advanced to the post of under-librarian. A short time after his return
- ↑ The Society Islands.
