test botanist, and t is tain Cook ced transit of Venusand claimed Australia for t else—est botanicalexpedition in ory. Banks paid ￡10,000, about $1 million in today’s money, to bringy of nine oturalist, a secretary, tists, and four servants—on ture around t tain Cookmade of sucy and pampered assemblage, but o  but admire alents in botany—a feeling serity.

    Never before or since anical party enjoyed greater triumply it ook in so many netle-knoierra del Fuego, tai, Neralia, Ne mostly it e andinventive collector. Even ine,ed t for tock and made new discoveries.

    Not seems, escaped ice. Altoget back ty tspecimens, including fourteen  seen before—enougo increase by about aquarter ts in the world.

    But Banks’s grand cac of total   absurdlyacquisitive age. Plant collecting in teentury became a kind of internationalmania. Glory and ed tanists andadventurers  to t incredible lengto satisfy ticulturalnovelty. ttall, teria after Caspar istar, came toAmerica as an uneducated printer but discovered a passion for plants and ing hings never seen before.

    Jo years in ting onbe and emerged at lengto find t Russia  o ract. Fraser took everyto Cers, and otica to a deligry.

    finds. Joeur botanist, spent t cleared almost $200,000 in today’smoney for s. Many,  did it for tany. Nuttall gave most ofanic Gardens. Eventually or of anic Garden and auts (e but also largely typeset).

    And t  plants. ts, mosquitoes, and ote, as Jonat noted in some famous lines: