FORSTER, JOHN REINHOLD, was born in 1729, at Dirschau in Western Prussia, of which town his father was burgomaster. Having studied at Halle, he was appointed in 1753 to the cure of Vassenhoff near Danzig. In 1765 he accepted an offer to go to Dussia to take the direction of the new colony established by Catharine at Saratof ; but he soon left it in disappointment, and proceeded to England in 1766, where he became known to Mr. Banks and others for his acquirements in natural history. During his residence in England he employed himself for some years as teacher in the Dissenters' academy at War rington in Lancashire. Through Mr. Banks's interest he was appointed naturalist to the second expedition under Captain Cook, and he sailed, together with his son George, on board the Resolution, in July 1772. A sum of 4000/. was granted by parliament for his expenses, besides which it. was verbally understood between him and the Honourable Dairies Barrington, in the name of Lord Sandwich, that Forster should be employed on his return to write the history of the voyage, and receive the profits of the publication. Iu the course of the voyage repeated disagreements took place between Forster and the officers of the expedition, and Captain Cook himself appears to have censured Forster's indiscretion and want of temper. After the return of tho expedition in July 1774, a controversy arose between Forster and Lord Sandwich about writing the narrative of the voyage. It was at lost settled that Forster should write the philosophical, and Cook the nautical parts of the work. Forster's manuscripts were to be subject to Barrington's correction ; but on presenting a specimen of his intended work, he was told that lie must not write a connected narrative but only detached observations, and ultimately even these were rejected. The consequence was that Cook's journal appeared alone. Meantime Forster, the son, published a separate account of the voyage in 1777; a circumstance which indisposed the admiralty still morn towards his father, who was believed to have had the priucipal share in the work, and who thus lost all hope that he might have entertained of remuneration. Forster's account of the transactions is given in the letters of his son George to Lord Sandwich, and to Mr. Wales, who bad written strictures on Forster's narrative. In 1778 Forster returned to Germany, and was well received at Berlin by Frederic) the Great, and was soon afterwards made professor of natural history and mineralogy at Halle, where he remained till his death, in December MS.
Forster was a man of vast information both in the natural sciences and in philosophy and general literature. His principal works are: 1, 'De Bysso Antiquorum; 1775; 2, Characteres Generum Plantarum quas in iusulis Maris Australis collegit J. R. Forster,' 4to, 1776; 3, Observations faites dans uu Voyage autour du Monde, sur la Geo graphic, physique, rHistoire Naturelle, et la Philosophic) Morale,' 4to, 1778. This work was translated into various languages, and forms a
good supplement to Cook's journal, although the tone of Forster's observations is not always in accordance with sound criticism. 4, Zoologia Indies,' 1781 ; 5, 'Ilistoire des Ddcouvertes et Voyages faits dans le Nord,' 1784 ; 6, Tableau de rAngleterre pour hum& 1780,' a satirical work written under the influence of disappointment and animosity, and consequently with little discrimination.
FORSTEIt, JOHN GEORGE, born in 1754, son of John R. Forster, accompanied his father in the voyage with Captain Cook, and published an account of the same in 1777, which involved him and his father in an unpleasant controversy. This narrative does not differ materially in the facts from Cook's journal. Fenster however has added to his work various observations, which he considered as philosophical, but which are often only declamatory. His book was translated into German, French, Swedish, and other languages. Forster having returned to the continent, was made professor of natural history at Cassel, and afterwards at Wilna, from which last place he returned to Germany about 1783, and was appointed librarian to the elector of Mayence. After the French took Mayence in 1792, Forster, who had become enthusiastic in the cause of the revolution, was chosen by the republicans of that city to proceed to Paris, as their representative, to request tho incorporation of Mayenco with the French republic. While he was at Paris on this mission, the Prussians re-took Mayence, and Forster lost all his property, including his books and manuscripts. This loss, and other domestic disappointments, made him resolve on leaving Europe, and he planned a journey to India and Tibet, pre paratory to which ho applied himself to the study of the Oriental languages; but he fell ill soon after, and died in January 1794. He left several works; among others, Ansichten von Nieder Rhein, von Brabant, Flanders, Holland, England, and Frankrcich in 1790,' iu three parts, of which the last was published after his death, Berlin, 1794. This work was translated into French under the title of `Voyage Philosophique et Pittoresque sur les Rives du Rhin,' &c., 3 vols. 8vo, Paris, 1795-96. The last volume contains an essay on the history of the fine arts in Great Britain. Forster wrote also Her barium Australe,' several memoirs on natural history, and various political and philosophical sketches and pamphlets. Humboldt, in his 'Cosmos,' describes George Forster as of "noble, sensitive, and ever-hopeful spirit," and says that "his smaller works contain the germ of much which, at a later period, has been brought to maturity."