FORSTER, JOHANN REINHOLD, a German traveler and naturalist, was born in Dir schau, in Prussia, in 1729, and died at Halle in 1798. He was educated at Halle and Dantzig for the clerical profession, and in 1753 became pastor at Nassenhuben, near Dantzig; but he seems to have devoted most of his time to the study of mathematics, natural philosophy, natural history, and geography. In 1765, he accepted an offer made to him by the Russian government, to inspect and report upon the new colonies founded on the banks of the Volga; and the matter of his report is said to have been so good as to have given to the empress Catharine suggestions for her great code of laws. His irritable temper soon involved him in difficulties with the Russian government; and in the following year he repaired to England, where the exertions of some of his scien tific friends in London soon procured for him the office of teacher of natural history, and of the French and German languages, at an educational institution for dissenting clergymen at Warrington, in Lancashire. He retained this post until 1772, when he received, through the influence of Mr. Banks, the offer of naturalist to capt. Cook's
second expedition to the south seas. In the course of the voyage, his temper seems to have frequently brought him into unpleasant collision with the other officers; and after the return of capt. Cook's vessels in July, 1774, a controversy arose between F. and lord Sandwich on the question as to who should write the narrative of the voyage. It was settled that F. should write the philosophical, and Cook the nautical parts of the work; but further difficulties arose, and Cook's journal appeared alone. In 1776, in association with his son, he published a work (in Latin) on the botany of the expedition; and in 1778 his Observations faites dans un Voyage autour du Monde sur la Geographie Physique, l'Ilistoire Haturelle, et la Philosophic iforale. In the latter year, he returned to Germany, and was soon afterwards made professor of natural history and mineralogy at Halle, where he remained until his death. Besides the above works, he published De Bysso Antiquorum, 1775; Zoologk Indica, 1781; Gescluchte der E'ntdeckungen und Schiff fahrten im, Nord,en, 1784 (Eng. and French trans.), etc.