of the late Joel Farkinfon,. brewer, of Edinburgh, one of the people eommonly
ealled Quakers» and, as l am told, well knbwn and eileemed by men.of all rank&
jn that qity. His iiiccefs in life, however, was by no means equal to that probity’
of mind and purity of manners, for which h.e was eminently diftinguiihed y a generality
of difpofitidn inducing, him to be improvidently retfiifs in profecuting the
recovery -of his jilft debts :. a circumftance, which, 'aggravated by other finifter
accidents,, rendered his family, on his deceafe, dependent on their own talents and
induftry for their future'iuppbrt.. His fon Sydney-was put to the bufinefs of a
woolien-draper j but, taking a particular delight in drawing flowers, fruits, and
other objects of natural hiftory, he became foon fo. great a proficient in that ftile
of painting,; as toattraft: the notice of the moft celebrated botanifts and connoif-
fcurs in that ftudy. In- cohfequenee of this, he was,, fome time after his arrival*
in ¡London,-recommended to Jofeph Banks, Efq.,. whofevery numerous collection,
of elegaht, and1 highly-fi nifhed drawings of that 'kind, executed lby Sydney Par-
h.:nfon, is aLufficient teftimony both, of his. talents and* application».
His recommendation beings foeffeCtually confirmed by theie proofs of ingenuity
and induftry, Jofeph Banks made-him the propofal of-going in the capacity.-
oft'botanical dr&ughtftnan-,- on the then1 intended voyage to-the South-feas. - Am
infatiable curibfityfor fuch-refearches prevailedover every, eonfide^ration'of danger,,
that- reafonablytfqggefteditfelf, as the neceflary- attendant bf fo long, fo perilous,,
and,, to my poor brother,, ih fatal a> voyage f He accordingly accepted Jbfeph;
Banks’s offer j though-by no means an,alluring one, if either views of profit, or-
perhaps. even>pr^dence, had influenced his determination. Hi si appointment',“ for
executing;fuch^drawings of flng.alar-botafUcahfu‘bj#(fts and cuHous-'b%e(fls.-of naturali
hiftory as might; occafionally^be met'-with on .' -the -voyage, was fettled at•; 'eighty?
pounds per annum. !In this capacity,, and under this moderate encouragement*
Syd ney Parkjnfon undertook to-.accompany, Jofeph Bahks to . the.. Soiith-Seas j, ■ ma-..
king his-wilhbefore his departure,, in which he bequeathed'the felary, which might/,
be due to him at> the time., of; his deceafe,. tcf,his:fiftcr. Britannia, and app6inted;me-
his refiduary. legatee».
The:
B B i B i
p-? Rr;. E/ Fv Ai-; Cy Eii *
The occurrences and events j that attended She ; expedition ; are. minutely, related.
in the following fheets : the contents of which, though deftitute of the embel-
lifliments of ftile and di*ftion, may- ferve, to fhew with what : afliduity the curious
jo.urnalift purfued his obfervations,:. and what accuracy he aimed, at, not only in
the particular walk-, of his profefiionof natural,hiftbr.y* butiaLfbin defcribing. the
perfons, languages,. cuftbms*. and manners of. the natives of the feveral :iflands> and
continents they vifited.
And here let me be indulged in the fpontaoeous eftufions of, a,heartftill raffctaed
with the lofs of à loving and a beloved brother, while I declare how I have heard
many of the fiirviying companions of thisi amiableyoungi man,.dwell with pleafure
on the relation,of, his Angular fimplicity'. of condutt, his fincere regard for truth,
his ardent thirft after knowledge, his indefatigable, induftry to obtain it, and his
generous:difpofitipn-in freply comm unseating, with the molLfriendly participation,
to others, that information-. .w-hich perhapsnonevhut bimfelf could have obtained.
That this is more than probable will appear, on comparing the different manner
in which Sydney and his aflociates pafled their time, in the moft interfeftihg fixations
» While many others,.for want of a more innocent curiofity or amuiement,
were indulging themfelves in thofe fenfual gratifications, which are fo eafily obtained
among the female part of uncivilized ¡nations* we find him gratifying no
other paflion than that of a laudable curiofity;; which enabled him inoffenfively
to employ his time, and efcape thoie fnares into which: the vicious appetites
o f fome others betrayed them» It, doth equal honour to his ingenuoufnefs and
ingenuity, to find him protected by. his own innocence, fecurely exereifing his ;
pleafing art amiflft a fayagp,_ ignorant,. and-hojtile, people j engaging their attention
by the powers of his pencil,, difarmiagi them .of. their native ferocity, and
rendering them even ferviceable to the great end of the voyage, in chearfully fur-
mihing him with the choiceft productions of the foil and climate, which neither
force nor ftratagena might otherwife have procured.
^ By fuch honeft arts and:mild demeanor he fôon afcqüired the cohfidence of the
inhabitants o f moft places, at which the Voyagers went on fhorcj obtaining thus,
as