viiv P R E ' F r A- CL E$
as I am well informed, with remarkable facility, the knowledge of many words
in! various languages, hitherto little, if at all, known in Europe*
.Thefe paved the way alfb to his fuccefs in acquiring a choice and rare collection
of curiofities, confifting of garments, domeftic utenfils, rural implements, inftru-
ments of war, uncommon fhells, and other natural curiofities, of eonfiderable value
: of fb much value, indeed, as^ even to feduce men of reputed fenfe, fortune,
and charader, to attempt, by means unworthy of themfelves, to deprive me of
what, after the lofs fuftained in the death of fa deferving a brother, one would
think none ought to envy me the gain.
It has happened ©therwiie j and I am now to enter on the diiagreeable taik of
fubmitting to the public, before whom I have been traduced, a relation of the
manner in. which the greater part of his effedts hath been hitherto detained from-
me, and the ufe of thofe l got denied me, through my implicit confidence in falfe
friends, and the fpecious arts of covetous and defigning ftrangers,
On the arrival of Jofeph Banks in London, about the middle of July, ly y i, he
informed me, by letter, of the death of Sydney Parkinfon, my brother j acquainting
me, at the fame time, of his having taken pofleffiaii of his effects, as the only
perfon that could do it * ; of which he was ready to give a proper account to his
executors» I waited, of coUrfe, • immediately on Jofeph Banks; who appeared to-
fympathize with me-on account of my brother, with whofe fervices he feemed
highly fatisfied, and declared he fuffered a eonfiderable lofs by his death ; telling
me, after a fhort converfation on the fubjeft, that lie was then much confufed with
a multiplicity of concerns, but that, as foen as his hurry of bufinefs was over, he !
would give me an account of my brother’s effe&W I
Being fbon after informed-, that Jofeph Banks had' told James Lee, of Ham-
merfmith, that my brother had bequeathed to him, James Lee,, a Journal ■ of the
* I am, however, fince .-informed', that tlfualy in fuoh cafes,, for the captain o f the fhip to-take
pofleffion of .the cffeSs of the deoeafed y eaufing at the fame time a regulac inventory to he taken of
them before two competent winiciles,
voyage
P R E F A C E . ix
voyage, and fome other papers, which were unfortunately loft;. I took occafion to
aik Jofeph Banks about this circumftance, who confirmed i t ; telling me, that he
had made a fearch among the fhip’s company for the faidL journal, but could not
find it. At this time he alfo told me that he expe<fted to get his goods up from the
fhipjn a few days, and that, when they arrived, I ihould receive the things bequeathed
me by my brother; among which he pbferved there were fome curiofities
he ihould be glad to purchafe. I replied that when I fhould receive and be inclined
to part with them, I would give him the preference.
Several weeks having elapfed without hearing any thing of my legacy, 1 waited
on Jofeph Banks, and, as I thought in the civileft terms, defired him to account
with me on this head. He was, or affeded to be, extremely angry with me,
however; faying his own affairs were not yet fettled, and, till they were, He could
not fettle mine. I anfwefed,- that I did notinfift on a final adjuftment immediately,
but thought it neceffary to make fome enquiry about the matter, left there might
be fome periihable commodities among my brother’s effects, which would fuffer
by being kept fo long in the package, and therefore required to be inipeded* On
this he flew, in a rage, to a bureau, that flood in a room adjoining, and began to
uncord it with great violence, and in much apparent donfufion. On my remon-
ftrating that what he was doing was at prefen t needle is, he defifted, and, calling
his fervant, gave him a written inventory; telling him at the fame time to deliver
me the things therein mentioned ; contained in a bureau, a large Chinefe cheft, a
trunk with two locks, a Dutch box, and fome other, fmaller chefts, jars, and
boxes*
They were accordingly delivered me the next day, unlocked and without keys,
although the inventory implied that all the locks had keys to them excepting that
of a tea-cheft. On examining into the contents of the feveral packages alfo, I
found the things did not agree with the inventory I miffed alfo fome things,
*b which
f Particularly fome linen, was found not inventoried, and two New-Zealand arrows were miffing;.
T h e large cheft, inftead of being full of curiofities, as mentioned in the inventory,,was not a third
part full, and moft of the things that were in it were damaged or perifhed. The upper part of the bureau,
faid to contain curiofities and fundries, contained nothing but a fluffed bird, a few manufcripts
' and