Joseph Banks

A voyage of discovery is not a mere pleasure trip, but a serious undertaking, fraught with danger and demanding the utmost fortitude and perseverance.

The great object of all our researches is to discover the laws by which nature acts, and to apply them to the improvement of human life.

I have been so much engaged in the pursuit of natural history that I have had little time for anything else.

The botanist, like the astronomer, must be content to work in silence and obscurity, for his discoveries are not of a nature to excite the admiration of the multitude.

It is impossible to conceive the variety of plants and animals that are to be found in these newly discovered countries.

The study of nature is an inexhaustible source of delight and instruction.

I am determined to pursue my researches with unremitting ardour, and to leave no stone unturned in my endeavours to enlarge the bounds of human knowledge.

The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident.

The earth is a vast museum, and its inhabitants are the most curious and interesting specimens.

It is by observation and experiment alone that we can arrive at a true knowledge of nature.

The true philosopher is he who can trace the hand of God in all the works of creation.

I have always considered the pursuit of natural history as one of the most innocent and delightful amusements of life.

The more I see of the world, the more I am convinced that there is no happiness but in the cultivation of the mind.

It is the duty of every man to contribute, as far as in him lies, to the general stock of human knowledge.

The progress of science depends upon the accumulation of facts, and the careful comparison of observations.

I have always found that the best way to learn is to teach.

The study of botany is not merely a dry enumeration of names, but a delightful contemplation of the most beautiful and interesting objects in nature.

It is impossible to describe the satisfaction that arises from the discovery of a new species of plant or animal.

The true naturalist is a lover of truth, and a patient inquirer into the secrets of nature.

I have often thought that if I had my life to live over again, I would devote it entirely to the study of natural history.