ROUND THE., WORLD WITH CAPTAIN COOK 23 



September of this year, there was company at Lord 

 Sandwich's house at Hinchingbrook to meet Dr. Burney, 

 Captain Cook, Mr. Banks, and Dr. Solander. Thus much 

 Fanny Burney, 1 who has frequent notices of all these men. 

 Few are the readers of our story but will regret there is 

 no record come down to us of these delightful days : en- 

 livened with the learning and anecdotage of Dr. Burney, 

 the wit of Lord Sandwich, and the genial good-humour of 

 Solander. On this occasion, too, the project of a second 

 circumnavigation was discussed with young James 

 Burney as a possible sharer in its perils and glories. 

 It seems almost incredible that even the energetic Banks 

 would care so soon again to meet the perils, and the 

 enormous expense, of another voyage round the world, 

 together with the enforced deprival of the society of his 

 friends. Yet the thing was already in train. Before the 

 close of the year, preparations were going forward for a 

 second Expedition, on a more ambitious scale. At first 

 it was proposed to send a fifty-gun ship and two frigates. 

 But the decision was finally in favour of two vessels 

 only, under the command of Cook. 



Upon Lord Sandwich suggesting to Banks that his 

 assistance would be welcome to the furtherance of the 

 Expedition, he readily volunteered. His time was 

 therefore occupied very busily during the ensuing months, 

 partly in arranging his collections and treasures and 

 exhibiting them to his friends, and partly in the prepara- 



morsel, Jemmy Twitcher ; and thus perpetuate a loathsome and half- 

 told story. We do not know all the truth about Lord Sandwich. His 

 reputation has suffered from tales of his youthful follies ; all the more 

 that exaggeration and caricature have made their memory endure. He 

 was a steady friend. His social qualities were excellent, as we learn 

 from Joseph Cradock and others. His dinner-table was a delight, as 

 were his musical evenings. We might be tempted to give anecdotes in 

 support of these statements ; but we must not be too discursive on 

 matters apart from our central figure. Besides \since this note was 

 written), it is reported that a careful and critical biography of Sandwich 

 is already in hand. 



1 Early Diary, etc., I, 138. 



