BIB_ID
408250
Accession number
MA 35.56
Creator
Burney, Fanny, 1752-1840.
Display Date
[1774 July].
Credit line
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1905.
Description
1 item (2 pages) ; 25.9 x 20.1 cm
Notes
The beginning and the end of the letter are missing. Because of this fragmentary nature, there is neither a date nor a place of writing on the document. In The Early Journals and Letters of Fanny Burney, Troide suggests that the letter was probably written in late July 1774 from Queen Street in London, where the Burney family was then living. See the published correspondence, cited below, for additional information.
Provenance
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan from the London dealer Quaritch in July 1905 as part of a collection of Burney's correspondence and fragments of manuscripts, bound in three volumes. Disbound in 1925.
Summary
Describing her father Charles Burney's encounter with the Ra'iatean man Mai (known in England as "Omai"), who had traveled to England on the HMS Adventure with Captain Tobias Furneaux: "Capt. Furneaux has brought him to Town with him -- & he was at the admiralty, where my Father had the satisfaction of seeing him. I find myself very curious to have the same sight. He was dressed according to the fashion of his Country, & is a very good looking man -- my Father says he has quite an interesting Countenance. He appeared to have uncommon spirits, & laughed very heartily many Times. he speaks a few English words -- & Capt. Furneaux a few Otaheite words"; mentioning that Joseph Banks was there to act as an interpreter, but he could not remember much Otaheite, whereas "we are very proud to hear that our Jem [their brother James] speaks more Otaheite than any of the Ship's Crew"; describing the meeting between the two men: "my Father [...] was Introduced to this Stranger, as Jem's Father -- he laughed, & shook Hands very cordially, & repeated with great pleasure the name thus Bunny! O! Bunny! immediately knowing who was meant, & the Capt. says that he is very fond of Bunny, who spent great part of his Time in studying the Language with him"; writing that James will be very much in demand when he returns and has received a number of social invitations; adding that Captain James Cook intends to stay in the South Pacific for another year, but that Furneaux's ship "has been so maul'd in a storm, & by sickness of the men, added to the loss of 10 Hands, that it was obliged to return to England, not being able to pursue the original design. I am heartily glad that they are returned -- & I hope that a Country so savage as New Zealand will never more be visited by my Brother"; mentioning that she has seen her nephew Richard Allen Burney twice this week, that he is "vastly well", and that their sister Esther (Richard's mother) can depend on her accounts of the child; asking Susanna to "[s]end me off the inclosed Frank, if possible, immediately. You was very kind in sending two so speedily."
Catalog link
Department