106 HISTORY OF [1775—80.

information on this science, they were in the habit ofsaying, “We must go to Banks .”

Having taken an honorary degree, he left Oxford in December 1763. His father had died in 1761, sothat, having become of age within a month after quit-ting the University , he became the uncontrolled pos-sessor of a large fortune, and of his own actions. Andnow it was that his love of science proved eminentlyuseful to England. For instead of abandoning him-self to a course of dissipation, which young men offortune frequently plunge into, after leaving the Uni-versity, Banks continued steadily attached to scien-tific studies.

Pursuing various branches of natural history inthe country, angling became a favourite recreation;and it was on one of his fishing excursions, that hebecame acquainted with Lord Sandwich, who, as firstLord of the Admiralty, I have had occasion to bringmore than once before the reader.

In May, 1766, Sir Joseph was elected a Fellow ofthe Royal Society ; and the same year he accompaniedhis friend Lieutenant Phipps, commanding the Niger ,to Newfoundland and Labrador , where, whilst thevessel was engaged in protecting the fisheries, he madecollections in natural history. In 1767 he returnedhome by Lisbon , from whence he brought the firstspecimen of caoutchouc to England 22 .

22 In an original MS. letter now before me, from Sir JosephBanks to Mr. Canton, written in 1767, the following passageoccurs:— “ With this you receive two balls of the new ElastickSubstance, which I beg pardon for having so long omitted to sendyou.” It is almost needless to add, that the substance alludedto is caoutchouc.