but his most serious gratification of this period, was that of receiving in safety and honour, james, his eldest son, the lieutenant of captain cooke, on the return from his second voyage round the world, of that super-eminent navigator.

the admiralty immediately confirmed the nomination of captain cooke; and further, in consideration of the character and services of the young naval officer, promoted him to the rank of master and commander.

the voyagers were accompanied back by omiah, a native of ulitea, one of the otaheitean islands. captain burney, who had studied the language of this stranger during the voyage home, and had become his particular favourite, was anxious to introduce the young south-sea islander to his father and family; who were at least equally eager to behold a native of a country so remote, and of such recent discovery.

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a time was quickly fixed for his dining and spending the day in queen-square; whither he was brought by mr., afterwards sir joseph, bankes, and dr. solander; who presented him to dr. burney.

the behaviour of this young otaheitean, whom it would be an abuse of all the meaning annexed to the word, to call a savage, was gentle, courteous, easy, and natural; and shewed so much desire to please, and so much willingness to be pleased himself, that he astonished the whole party assembled to receive him; particularly sir robert strange and mr. hayes; for he rather appeared capable to bestow, than requiring to want, lessons of conduct and etiquette in civilized life.

he had a good figure, was tall and well-made; and though his complexion was swarthy and dingy, it was by no means black; and though his features partook far more of the african than of the european cast, his eyes were lively and agreeable, and the general expression of his face was good-humoured and pleasing.

he was full dressed on this day, in the english costume, having just come from the house of lords, whither he had been taken by sir joseph bankes, to see, rather than to hear, for he could not understand

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it, the king deliver his speech from the throne. he had also been admitted to a private audience of his majesty, whom he had much entertained.

a bright manchester velvet suit of clothes, lined with white satin, in which he was attired, sat upon him with as much negligence of his finery, as if it had been his customary dress from adolescence.

but the perfect ease with which he wore and managed a sword, which he had had the honour to receive from the king, and which he had that day put on for the first time, in order to go to the house of lords, had very much struck, sir joseph said, every man by whom it had been observed; since, by almost every one, the first essay of that accoutrement had been accompanied with an awkwardness and inconvenience ludicrously risible; which this adroit otaheitean had marvellously escaped.

captain burney had acquired enough of the otaheitean language to be the ready interpreter of omiah with others, and to keep him alive and in spirits himself, by conversing with him in his own dialect. omiah understood a little english, when addressed in it slowly and distinctly; but could speak it as yet very ill; and with the peculiarity, whether adopted from the idiom of his own tongue,

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or from the apprehension of not being clearly comprehended, of uttering first affirmatively, and next negatively, all the little sentences that he attempted to pronounce.

thus, when asked how he did, he answered “ver well; not ver ill.” or how he liked any thing, “ver nice; not ver nasty.” or what he thought of such a one, “ver dood; not ver bad.”

on being presented by captain burney to the several branches of the family, when he came to this memorialist, who, from a bad cold, was enveloped in muslin wrappings, he inquired into the cause of her peculiar attire; and, upon hearing that she was indisposed, he looked at her for a moment with concern, and then, recovering to a cheering nod, said, “ver well to-morrow morrow?”

there had been much variation, though no serious dissension, among the circumnavigators during the voyage, upon the manner of naming this stranger. captain burney joined those officers who called him omai; but omiah was more general; and omy was more common still. the sailors, however, who brought him over, disdaining to scan the nicety of these three modes of pronunciation, all, to a man, left each of them unattempted and undiscussed, and,

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by universal, though ridiculous agreement, gave him no other appellation than that of jack.

his after visits to the house of dr. burney were frequent, and evidently very agreeable to him. he was sure of a kind reception from all the family, and he was sincerely attached to captain burney; who was glad to continue with him the study of the otaheitean language, preparatory to accompanying captain cooke in his third circumnavigation, when omiah was to be restored to his own island and friends.

in the currency of this intercourse, remarks were incessantly excited, upon the powers of nature unassisted by art, compared with those of art unassisted by nature; and of the equal necessity of some species of innate aptness, in civilized as well as in savage life, for obtaining success in personal acquirements.

the diserters on the instruction of youth were just then peculiarly occupied by the letters of lord chesterfield; and mr. stanhope, their object, was placed continually in a parallel line with omiah: the first, beginning his education at a great public school; taught from an infant all attainable improvements; introduced, while yet a youth, at foreign courts; and brought forward into high life with all

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the favour that care, expense, information, and refinement could furnish; proved, with all these benefits, a heavy, ungainly, unpleasing character: while the second, with neither rank nor wealth, even in his own remote island; and with no tutor but nature; changing, in full manhood, his way of life, his dress, his country, and his friends; appeared, through a natural facility of observation, not alone unlike a savage, but with the air of a person who had devoted his youth to the practice of those graces, which the most elaborately accomplished of noblemen had vainly endeavoured to make the ornament of his son.