Sydney Parkinson

“ It doth equal honour to his ingenuousness and ingenuity, to find him protected by his own innocence, securely exercising his pleasing art amidst a savage, ignorant, and hostile, people; engaging their at-tention by the powers of his pencil, disarming them of their native ferocity, and rendering them even serviceable to the great end of the voyage, in chearfully fur-nishing him with the choicest productions of the soil and climate, which neither force nor stratagem might otherwise have procured. ”

“ These poor Indians live in a village [see pl. II.] on the south side of the bay, behind a hill; the number of their huts is about thirteen, and they contain near fifty people, who seem to be all the inhabitants of this dreary part of the island, where it is very cold, even in the midst of summer.
Their huts are made of the branches of trees, covered with guanica and seal skins; and, at best, are but wretched habitations for human beings to dwell in.
Their food is the flesh of seals and shell-fish, particularly muscles, of which we have seen some very large. ”

“ The people in general are very fond of ear-rings, and will exchange for them what they deem the most valuable of their effects. Some of their ear-rings [see pl. XIII. fig. 13 and 14] are made of mother-of-pearl cut into various figures, which are tied to their ears by human hair, curiously plaited by the women. They also tie three pearls together with hair, and hang them on their ears. [See ibid. fig. 26.]
The cloth, worn by the natives of this island, is of a very singular kind, being made of the bark of a small tree which contains a glutinous juice, some of which we saw in our excursions. ”

“ As for the words, matchless impudence, treachery, wretched principles, avarice, and such like, which thou hast applied to me, I regard them as wrote in heat of passion; and advise thee (to make use of thy own phrase) to take shame on thee for having written them, as also for having unjustly charged me with crimes I never committed. ”

“ Nature’s wants, it is true, are but few, and the uncivilized part of mankind, in general, seem contented if they can acquire those few. Ambition, and the love of luxurious banquets, and other superfluities, are but little known in the bar-barous nations: they have, in general, less anxious thought for the morrow, than civilized; and therefore feel more enjoyment while they partake of heaven’s bounty in the present day. Unaccustomed to indulgences in cloathing and diet, which Europeans have carried to an extreme, they are less subject to diseases ”

“ And here let me be indulged in the spontaneous effusions of a heart still affected with the loss of a loving and a beloved brother, while I declare how I have heard many of the surviving companions of this amiable young man dwell with pleasure on the relation of his singular simplicity of conduct, his sincere regard for truth, his ardent thirst after knowledge, his indefatigable industry to obtain it, and his generous disposition in freely communicating, with the most friendly participation, to others, that information which perhaps none but himself could have obtained. ”

“ However if the Book be ready, I hope a Number may be sold so as to defray the Expence and afford thee something over; but am of opinion if they are not out soon, it will be a very great disadvantage. ———— Thy truly affectionate Cousin, J.GOMELDON. Put thus to the trouble and expence of defending a suit in chancery, and the publication of my book being delayed when just ready to appear, I had yet no remedy but that of putting in a full answer to the bill, and praying a dissolution of the injunction. ”

“ I answered, that I did not insist on a final adjustment immediately, but thought it necessary to make some enquiry about the matter, lest there might be some perishable commodities among my brother’s effects, which would suffer by being kept so long in the package, and therefore required to be inspected. On this he flew, in a rage, to a bureau, that stood in a room adjoining, and began to uncord it with great violence, and in much apparent confusion. On my remon-strating that what he was doing was at present needless, he desisted, and, calling his servant, gave him a written inventory ”

“ Polygamy is not allowed amongst them; but the married women have not a very delicate sense of modesty; their husbands will allow you any liberty with their wives, except the last, which they do not approve. Most of our ship’s company procured temporary wives amongst the natives, with whom they occasionally cohabited; an indulgence which even many reputed virtuous Europeans allow themselves, in uncivilized parts of the world, with impunity ”

“ A curiosity, perhaps, equal to Solomon’s, though accompanied with lets wisdom than was possessed by the Royal Philosopher, induced some of us to quit our native land, to investigate the heavenly bodies minutely in distant regions, as well as to trace the signatures of the Supreme Power and Intelligence throughout several species of animals, and different genera of plants in the vegetable system, "from the cedar that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth. ”

“ Their dances are not less sin-gular than their music; for they twist their bodies into many extravagant postures, spread their legs, set their arms a-kimbo, and, at the same time, distort the muscles of their faces, and twist their mouths diagonally, in a manner which none of us could imitate. ”

“ Before noon we made another low island, which we called Thumb-cap Island. It stretched a long way, and is made up of several parcels of land joined together by reefs; it has also a lagoon inclosed with a reef, upon which we discovered many canoes; some having ten people in them, and others a lesser number. As we sailed along, the natives followed us, some on the reef, others in canoes, and seemed desirous to have an intercourse with us; but though we beckoned to them, they would not come off. They appeared to be very stout men ”

“ Dr. Fothergill, in particular, offered me, at different times, several sums of money, to drop my intended publication, notwithstanding he knew Joseph Banks still detained my curiosities, contrary to agreement, and refused to come to any accommodation. Nay, James Lee, of whom I have before spoken, proceeded, indiscreetly, to attempt to intimidate me from my design, by pretending himself to have a right to my brother’s manuscripts. ”

“ It is a flat island, ex-tending a great length from E. to W. describing the form of a crescent; and has a sand-bank joined to it, on which the surf ran very high. In the middle of the island, there is a large salt lagoon, or lake; and at the east end of it are many palm trees. We saw clouds of smoke ascend from different parts, pro-ceeding, as we apprehended, from sires kindled by the natives, and designed as signals to us. Night came on before we could discover the west end of the island ”

“ It is yet with regret I find myself reduced to this necessity; as the persons, of whom I complain, are men, from whose superior talents and situation in life better things might be expected; however they have, in this instance, been misemployed in striving to baffle a plain, unlettered, man; who, though he thinks it is his duty to be resigned under the dispensations of providence, thinks it also equally his duty to seek every lawful redress from the oppressive acts of vain and rapacious men. ”

“ Most of the natives of this island smell strong of the cocoa oil, and are of a pale brown complexion, mostly having black hair, and that often frizzled; black eyes, flat nose, and large mouth, with a chearful countenance; they all wear their beards, but cut off their mustachios, [see pl. VIII. fig. I.] are well made, and very sturdy, having their bellies in general very prominent; and are a timorous, merry, facetious, hospitable people. There are more tall men among them than among any people I have seen, measuring six feet, three inches and a half ”

“ On their return, they missed their way, and wandered about for a considerable time, not knowing whither they went, but at length they found their former track. While the naturalists were searching for plants upon the hill, two negroes and a tailor, who were left to guard the liquor and provision, having made too free with the brandy-bottle, were rendered incapable of keeping pace with the rest of the company, who made all possible speed, hoping to have reached the ship before the day closed in upon them, dreading the consequence of being exposed in a strange land, and an inhospitable clime ”

“ They seem, however, as contented with what is spontaneously produced, as if they had attained to the ne plus ultra, and are therefore happier than Europeans in general are, whose desires are unbounded. When the men are at work, they wear only a piece of cloth round their middle, which they call maro: at other times they wear garments which they call purawei, and teepoota about their bodies, with a kind of turban on their heads; and, in walking, they carry a long white stick in one of their hands, with the smallest end uppermost. ”

“ Joseph Banks’s lawyer asked him, at that very time, if he had it in writing, that my brother’s papers were bequeathed to thee; who answered in the Negative; on which the lawyer pronounced them to be my property. And Joseph Banks was so well satisfied at what Dr. Solander then uttered, that he said he gave it up. I think thou wilt find I have sufficiently cleared myself from thy charges exhibited against me, which I have done: not that I am any ways fearful of thy threats, for I shall be at all times ready to answer thy suits, but that l am desirous of living peaceably with all men. ”

“ Venus Fort, Erected by the Endeavour's People to secure themselves during the Observation of the Transit of Venus, at Otaheite. On the 20th, one of their chiefs, named Tubora Tumaida, whom we called Lycurgus, with his wife and son, came to visit and dine with us; While we were at dinner, one of his attendants made up a dish with some garbage which they brought with them, mixing it with cocoa nut liquor in a shell, and it tasted like fowens [2] . ”

“ On the readiness I shewed to oblige Joseph Banks with such of the shells as he might not have in his collection. Dr. Fothergill informed me, that Joseph Banks, in great good humour and apparent generosity, told him, he had much reason to be satisfied with the services of Sydney Parkinson, and the chearfulness with which he executed other drawings than those of his own department; supplying, in fact, the loss of Joseph Banks’s other draughtsman, who died in the beginning of the voyage. ”

“ They must be very honest amongst them-selves, as every house is without any fastening. Locks, bolts, and bars are peculiar to civilized countries, where their moral theory is the best, and their moral practices too generally of the worst; which might induce a celebrated writer to conclude, though erroneously, that mankind, upon the whole, are necessarily rendered worse, and less happy, by civilization, and the cultivation of the arts and sciences. ”

“ We caught two sea swallows, and several curious marine animals, of the molusca tribe, such as sea-worms, star-fish, and sea urchins.
On the 21st, we reached the S.E. trade wind, and continued our course without any remarkable occurrence till the 8th of November; then we discovered land at about eight leagues distance, and spoke with the crew of a Portugueze fishing vessel, of whom Mr. Banks bought a great quantity of fish, among which were dolphins and breams, which afforded much speculation to our naturalists. ”

“ The information I received, however, could not fail of alarming my suspicion; which I communicated to some friends, who advised me to file a bill in chancery to compel Joseph Banks to come to a just account. But, having a man of character and fortune to deal with, I was loth to take violent measures, in hopes he might be induced by fair means to do me justice. ”

“ While Joseph Banks was gone to fetch the papers, I intimated to Dr. Fothergill, that, the shells and other curiosities not having been returned me according to promise, it was proper to take notice of it now, and that, unless they were re-turned, I would not sign the receipt. But to this intimation Dr. Fothergill hastily replied, "No, no ; thou seest he is now in a passion, and it will be improper to " speak of them;" adding, that he placed so much confidence in Joseph Banks’s integrity, that he would answer for the return of at least the greatest part of them. ”

“ The soil near the river is a kind of loam, mixt with sand; but farther up in the country we found a fine black mould. All the tropical fruits, such as melons, oranges, mangoes, lemons, limes, cocoa nuts and plantains, are to be met with here in great plenty. ”

“ He added, that Sydney Parkinson had made, at his leisure hours, a great many drawings of the people at Otaheite and the neighbouring islands, as also of the New-ZeaIanders, particularly of some who were curiously marked in the face; and that he frequently sat up all night, drawing for himself or writing his journal; and as for the account of its being lost, he looked upon it as a farce, as he was sure Joseph Banks took particular care of every thing belonging to Sydney Parkinson, and had all his effects under his own eye. ”

“ Sydney Parkinson, from whose papers and drawings the journal, now presented to the public, has been faithfully transcribed and delineated, was the younger son of the late Joel Parkinson, brewer, of Edinburgh, one of the people commonly called Quakers, and, as I am told, well known and esteemed by men of all ranks, in that city. His success in life, however, was by no means equal to that probity of mind and purity of manners, for which he was eminently distinguished ”

“ The land on both sides, particularly Staten-land, affords a most dismal prospect, being made up chiefly of barren rocks and tremendous precipices, covered with snow, and uninhabited, forming one of those natural views which human nature can scarce behold without shuddering. ”

“ The air, it seems, is but seldom extremely hot, as they have a breeze of wind from the sea every morning; and generally a land wind at night. [1] .
On the 7th of December, 1768, our necessary provisions, and other supplies, having been taken on board, we left the harbour of Rio de Janeiro, coasting along the Brazils, and met with nothing worthy of note till the 22d of the same month, except, that in coming out of the harbour, Mr. Flowers, an experienced seaman, fell from the main shrouds into the sea, and was drowned before we could reach him. ”