COOK JOUKNALS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1922, Page 4

COOK JOUKNALS.

BURNEY AND HIS WORK

(By, J. A. Fergusou, Australia.) 1 Tlie return of Captain James Cook I and his intrepid ships’ companies from J their first circumnavigation created | more than ,a seven days’ wonder. Amongst the notables invited to the mansion of Lord Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, to nieot the “lion ot the hour,” was "Doctor Charles Burney, j best known as the father of Fanny ! Burney (Madame d’Arblay). hr Bur- j ifcy, a fashionable organist and author of the “History of Music,” had recentlly S et up house in St. Martin’s street, iAround his family tea table many of j the most learned and accomplished j figures of London society were wont to assemble. Burney used the opportun- j ity to press a request. His eldest son James, familiarly “Jem,” was now 22 \ years of age. He had served eight years in the Royal Navy as a midshipman. first under Admiral Montague on the coast of North America, the in the Mediterranean with Captain Onslow. Would Lord Sandwich and Captain Cook arrange that the lad he included in one of the crews selected tor the second voyage? The request was granted, and “Jem” shipped as second lieutenant on the Adventure under Captain Fovenux, her consort, the Resolution, being in command of Cook. This voyable occupied the years In2 to 1775, and was notable for the deep penetration'made by Cook into the Antarctic regions. Now young James. Burncy. had enjojed educational advantages beyond t 'use of; most of the naval officers, of Ins lime. He had been brought up. in, a homo circle where intellectual, interests and conversation held sway Tin? result was a mind quick to catch new impressions and to correlate them with previous records of other obseryers. leaving behind him relatives so deeply interested in his contribution. .to the sue-

cess of the expedition, it was inevitable, that the absentee .should keep a journal of the voyage for family reading and personal reference. Fortunately this journal was studiously posted up throughout the . voyage.. „On Burneys return it. escaped the. .vigilance of the officers deputed to compel observance of the order that, all private logs should lie handed' over to the Admiralty. The journal was found of infinite interest by the family, and most of .all by his famous sister Fanny. She refers to it in a letter to her fiteind ‘-Daddy’ Crisp thus:—“Our ‘.Jem’ is at. last come, so now all our Ung anxiet ics and fears are over, and we are all, thankheaven, happy and at peace. He has brought us home an admirable journal, of which 1 have only read one year; but I have found it full of cntertain'niicnt and matters of curiosity, and realjlv very well written, concise, pertinent, and rational. You will he, quite delig t:od with it, and he means to lend it to vou of his own accord.’

No doubt Fanny Burney discussed the journal, too, with her beloved master, Dr Samuel Johnson, who had a great | admiration for “Jem ” as one of those bold mariners always respectfully ie■iferred to by the rugged lexicographer :as “ those Cook’s men.” It is of speei--1 ul interest to note that this jotnn.il of . Cook’s second voyage, kept hy Burney land read by so many famous personages one hundred and fifty years ago, has Ijust reached Sydney. ft consists of i sixty neatly written foolscap pages, d lustrated with careful drawings of .the ceast-lines of Tasmania and New Zealand. Young Burney took .immense pains with his description of Tasmania, bis ship being the first to visit I hat const since Tasmania’s in the year 16*12. Although Captain Foveaiix did not solve the problem, Burney records his strong impression that Tasmania is unconnected with the mainland. The lieutenant, during his subsequent voyaging on the New Zealand coast and among the South Sea Islands, spent many hours conversing by the aid of interpreters or the language of signs, with the natives. He preserves most elaborate accounts of their manners, customs, and rites. Rememliering his father’s in fie rest in music, be inserts in bis manuscript bars of music, which his ear has caught, up from performers of wild tribal melodies.

These scanty references will perhaps scrvN to illustrate the wide scope and importance of this journal which has never been printed. James Burney, not sated with such adventures and perils, sailed with Captains Cook and Clerko on the ill-fated third voyage (17761780). On this expedition he kept a log, now reserved in the Pcoord Office, London, and partly reproduced by the late Dr M‘Nab in his “Historical Records of New Zealand;” volume two. Deference is made to Jem’s pending return m a letter from sister bunny to Mrs Tlirale. “We have no eonsolaton, she writes, “from Admiral Jem’s promotion, for the first-lieutenant of the late Captain Cook’s ship has succeeded to the command of Captain Clerke’s. Ts it not a melancholy circumstance that both the captains of this expedition should perish ere it is completed? Lord Sandwich told my father that the journal of Captain Cook is arrived, and now in the hands of the King, who has desired to have the first perusal of it. I am very impatient to know something of its contents. The ships are both expected almost daily. They have already been out a year longer than was intended. Mr Jem has not written one line. Don’t you think mv master (Dr Johnson) will allow him to he a man of stmse, and take to him ? ” Burney ,in fact, brought the ill-fated Clerke’s ship—the Discovery—into port as his first command.

Fanny Burney’s warm tribute to the character of Cook is the unconscious reflection of the praises uttered by James and his fellow officers. It deserves to be more generally known. “ I am sure,” she writes, you must have been grieved for poor Captain Cook. How hard, after so many dangers, so much toil, to die in so shocking a manner. . . He was the most moderate, humane, and gentle circumnavigator who ever went out upon discoveries: agreed the best with all the Indians, and, till this fatal time, never failed, however, hostile they met, to leave them his friends.” Pretty picture of James and his progress are glimpsed in Fanny’s diary and letters. Thus she recounts the joyful news of his appointment to the command of a ship: “T had no other adventure in London, but a most delightful incident has happened, since I came hither. We had just done tea on Friday, apd Mrs Hamilton,

Kitty, Jem and Mr Crisp were sitting ! down to cards, when we were surprised j at an express from London, and it j brought a “Whereas we think fit”; from, the Admiratly to appoint Captain 1 Burney to the command of the L'taona £ during the absence of the Honourable | Captain Conway. This is one of the best frigates in the Navy, of thirtyeight guns, and immediately, T believe ready for service. Jem was almost frantic with ecstaev of joy; he sang, laughed, drank to his own success, and danced about the room with Miss Kitty till lie put her quite out of breath. His hope is to get oufc immediately and have a brush with some of the Hons, Monsieurs, or Mynheers, while, he is in possession of a,ship of sufficient force to attack any frigate he may meet.” To 1 this her friend, Mrs Tlirale, replies: j “ Now I have picked up something to please you. Dr Johnson pronounced an j actual eudogism upon Captain Burney Ijto his yesterday’s listeners —how amiliable lie was, and how gentle in Ins mnn|Jner, etc., though lie had lived so many ; years with sailors and savages.” Such iprofessional keenness could not long go |! unrewarded. On June 18th, 1782 } , Burney was advanced to the rank of Ij captain, and appointed to the Bristol, [jot fifty guns. In her he voyaged to the IjKast Todies, and took part in the last |. fighting of the war. “ 1 question if any j ship upon the ocean goes out attended j with more good wishes than that which 1 carries the fate of Burney. I love all jc.f that breed whom f can be said to I know, and one or two whim I hardly know 1 love upon credit.” So Johnson ' fa re welled Ins hero.

The subsequent career of James Hurney must be told in brier. 111-lienlMi prevented Ids serving again, although lie volunteered for active service in the wans of the French Revolution. Attaining the rank of Admiral, he devot 'd himself to literary pursuits. In 18JT he began the publication of a “ A Chronological History of the Discoveries m the South Sea or Pacific Ocean ”--a most valuable treatise, which extended to five volumes quarto, and was not completer until 1817. ft is still the standard work on the subject, and commands a high price on its very occasional aiw pearnnee in the book mni . works occupied his leisure, including an “ Essay on the Game of AVbist, wlucli ran through several editions. On 'November 17th. 1821, .Tames Burney suddenly passed away, full of >e«vr& a,K honours.