Naturalists on the Endeavour Voyage (1768–1771): Personalities, Pursuits, and Problems

Abstract

The Endeavour voyage was the first expedition from Britain to carry professional botanists and natural history artists. The main purpose was to observe the Transit of Venus. However, Cook had secret orders to explore and map the elusive southern continent. Joseph Banks, a wealthy naturalist, was consumed with excitement at the prospect of undiscovered plants, animals, and people. He arranged for a party of naturalists to accompany the expedition. Banks employed three artists: Parkinson; Buchan; and Spöring. Daniel Solander was his scientific partner. Contemporary diaries reveal how these men, from different backgrounds and nations, worked together to compile 3,000 specimens and over 1,300 drawings. Banks intended to publish the drawings quickly, but publication was delayed. When Solander died, the publication lost momentum and Banks was preoccupied by other projects. Banks’ Florilegium was finally published over 200 years later, a lasting legacy of the talents, dedication, and bravery of the artists.