114

HISTORY OF

[1775—80.

He was the founder of the African Association;and it is related that “ when Ledyard was in wantof support on his celebrated journey, it was on SirJoseph Banks that he drew a bill, which, in the remoteregion where the traveller then was, found an im-mediate honour and discount.” He used great exer-tions to mitigate the captivity of the unfortunateFlinders, and it was principally by his intercessionthat our Government issued orders in favour of LaPdrouse.

Although botany was Banks ’ favourite pursuit, itdid not absorb his exclusive attention. We find himthroughout his life promoting science, and alwaysready to contribute his time and purse to its advance-ment. When Dr. Blagden instituted his experimentsupon the power of existing in rooms heated to anexcessive temperature, Sir Joseph Banks was one ofthe first to enter an apartment in which the thermo-meter stood at nearly 260 °. 27 There are many otherinstances of his willingness to arrive at philosophicaltruths, at personal inconvenience. So great an ad-mirer was John Hunter of Sir Joseph Banks ’s charac-ter, that he used to say, “ If any man was to be envied,it was he; for he was engaged in the most rationalpursuits that can occupy the mind of man; his income

27 See Phil- Trans ., Yol. lxv. for an account of these experi-ments. It is stated that Banks was the only person “ who sweatedprofusely.” But Sir F. Chantrey’s feat is even more extraordinary.“ Accompanied by five or six friends, he entered a furnace used fordrying moulds, and after remaining two minutes, they brought outa thermometer which stood at 320°. Some of the party experiencedsharp pains in the tips of their ears, and in the septum of the nose,while others felt a pain in their eyes.” Brewster’s Natural Magic ,p. 312.