New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-09

abed to give freely of their service and
substance. Only rarely are they among
the real builders, the real workers whom
they come to represent in the eyes of the
world Trusty pillars they may be,
strong flying buttresses. elaborate orna-
ments. outward evidence of what is being
constructed, but hardly ever are they
architects of the edifice They have their
uses, for they have time and means and
good will and often a measure Of talent
later historical student they are Of value
chiefly as centres around which 10 group
his studies Of a movement or period.
Such a man was Sir Joseph Banks.
president Of the British Royal Society
for forty-two years 077S-1S2O, and
such is the use that his biographer has
made Of his career. Mr.. Smith in fact,
has endeavored TO complement the many
political, economic and social studies of
the later years Of the eighteenth century
with one Of the intensely active and in
ternationally closely interrelated scien-
tifc life Of the period in the field Of
natural science, especially botany, for.
wide as We're Sir Joseph Banks's inter
ests. he remained to the end a student of
botany first of all. The author succeeds
In this purpose in large outlines that
make one wish for the more detailed
study Of the subject which he suggests,
but which. as biographer. he has not
carried out on the other hand, the
book. as a biography. is circumscribed
by the scarcity of personal data resulting
from the period Of oblivion that so often
follows Immediately upon the death of
men Of Sir Joseph Banks's calibre. Some
abortive attempts at a biography were
made at the time. but when a new gen
Grafton arose the opportunity had passed
for reproducing those intimacies which
only surviving friends could deal with.
Mr. Smith has been obliged, therefore, to
content himself with an elaborate sketch
Of his public career.
That career, it is no injustice to state,
was made possible chiefly by the posses
sion of a great inherited fortune, worth
fly and well employed 1t enabled its
possessor to follow the bent Of his inter-
ests at oxford. and il made possible his
early trip to Labrador and his participa-
ton in Captain Cooks first circumnavi
CATION of the globe as the expeditions
naturalist accompanied by a staff of
trained assistants. which included three
~ I;c+C
der The fame suddenly accruing to him
on his return brought him the friendship
Of Farmer George" to the practical
quality OF whose farming the author en-
deavors TO direct the attention Of stu
dents OF the history OF English agri-
culture, also observing, in this connec-
ton, that Banks himself considered hus-
bandry as an important branch of bot
any. Created a baronet by his royal
friend in 1871, Banks was made a
Knight of the Bath in 1875, and ad-
mitted TO the privy council two years
later. Fellow Of the Royal Society
since 1866 ne was made its president in
177S, and during his long tenure Of that
himself the representative of English
science in the eyes Of the world:
There were enthusiastic naturalists Of
his day in France and Germany Sweden.
Italy and Russia. who held Banks to be
the greatest living Englshman. And no
wonder He had shared the famous cir
COMMUNICATION with Captain Cook: he sub
sidized botanists and explorers all over the
world his natural history collections were
at the service Of everybody. he made Kew
the botanical Mecca. II was Banks who
inspired the famous adventure of Captain
Bligh for transplantins the bread fruit
and ultimately IL proved successful. The
botanic gardens In India and our olonies
have traditions Of Banks that they will
never lose
There was scarcely an important
movement in his time i'm which Sir John
Banks did not take an active interest
The Society Of Arts. the Society of Anti
Quar1aS the Lnnean Society. the