Value of Mr. BurnhaAis Testimony. 243 



Dismissing the question of Luckipoor, tlierefore, with the simple remark that the advocate 

 of Burnham's tale should have looked up his Indian geography before finding fault with 

 Mr. Cornish's ; and noting very briefly that it is scarcely matter for wonder the name of ship 

 and sailor should be forgotten, since no one would have supposed more than twenty years ago that 

 they would be so imperiously demanded ; what is of importance would seem to be the posrtion and 

 trustworthiness of Mr. Cornish ; and this we cannot show better than by quoting part of another 

 letter to ourselves from that gentleman, which has never before been published. The letter itself 

 is dated New Britain, Connecticut, April I2, 1870, and we ought to add that we have verified its 

 statements from independent sources : — 



" As my name has appeared in this country and in England in connection with the history of the Brahmas, 

 I beg you to allow me a word for myself. 



" My letters to Dr. Bennett and others, from which you make extracts, were called for, written, and published at 

 an early day, when the parties who brought them (the Brahmas) from India to New York, and from thence to 

 Hartford, Connecticut, were living and to be seen by all men. They were often seen and inquired of by parties 

 interested, and their statements were never discredited, nor doubted by any one except Mr. Burnhara, and by him 

 only by falsely stating that he originated them in his own yard. 



" At the time the original pair of Brahmas were brought to Hartford, Connecticut, I was an officer at the 

 Retreat for the Insane in that city ; having in charge all the business of that institut'on, except that which belonged 

 strictly to the medical department. I had purchased a farm of fifty acres for the institution, and thereon fitted up 

 a laro-e yard for the accommodation of rare animals, flowers, and birds ; and had placed in them more than sixty 

 distinct breeds (of fowls and other animals), in which I took much interest and pleasure. This I had done for the 

 amusement of our convalescent patients. I had no pecuniary interest in bringing out the Brahma fowls, but saw 

 at once that they were a distinct breed, and worthy of a high place." 



We have already seen that Mr. Cornish's statement was published long before Burnham's. It 

 gives a perfectly clear, consistent, and simple account of the origin of certain birds, which are 

 proved by independent testimony to have been all obtained from the State of Connecticut ; and 

 the obvious question is, by what testimony save of the clearest, best supported, and most 

 convincing character, may such an account be disproved } and is Burnham's sufficient to disprove 

 it.'' We can only reply that no one but Mr. Tegetmeier in England ever attached to any 

 statement of Burnham's the least importance whatever. Even he calls his great authority 

 "unscrupulous," as well he might after the unblushing account* of the motives which solely 

 dictated the " present to Her Most Gracious Majesty ;" and among Americans themselves his book 

 was never received with anything but a laugh at what was universally understood to be another 

 attempt of the same sort at a trading puff. As an instance of this general appreciation of the inan, 

 we had quite recently an announcement from a valued American correspondent that " our old 

 friend Burnham" had "let himself out again ;" and were somewhat perplexed by the enigmatical 

 information, until the receipt of a copy of "Burnham's New Poultry-Book," published in 1S71, 

 elucidated the mystery. This second book was, in all respects, worthy of the first, being a 

 series of advertising puffs in the most approved " spread-eagle" style from beginning to end : and it 

 especially amused us to note how the author had, with a most laudable regard to reciprocity, in 

 return for Mr. Tegetmeier's unhoped-for quotation of the former work, repaid the favour by quoting 

 his ?L% ample "authority" on the very same point; each thus referring to the other, and to the 

 other alone, as confirming his own views ! It is the simple fact that not one American writer 

 (and buc one English) ever regarded Burnham's account as of the slightest value. 



• It begins thus : — " Finally the idea occurred to me that a present of a few of the choicest of these birds to the Queen 

 of England wouldn't prove a very bad advertisement for me in this line. I had already reaped the full benefit accruing from this 

 sort of 'disinterested generosity' on my pirt towards certain American notables." 



