COOK RELICS IN RUSSIA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1584, 30 October 1912, Page 7

COOK RELICS IN RUSSIA.

A SCIENTIST'S TRAVELS. Mr,. Brigham, director of the Bornice Pouhai Bishop Museum, of Honolulu, is, according to Australian advices, a passenger for, New Zealand by the Maunganui, which arrives in. Wellington early this morning from Sydney. He is accompanied by his secretury, Air. AVilson. Mr. Brighain has been makin*; a tour of the world, inspecting museums, and niakinrinvestigatbns into etlinological and natural history. Both Mr. Brigham and Mr. Wilson have- travelled through' the United States, Great Britain, ltussia, France, and l.gJ'P.t. and a slay of three weeks was made in Java examining vol- , canoes.

"One of the most interesting things I have seen during the present tour,", said Mr. Brigham yesterday, to. a representative of tho Sydney "Telegraph," were the relics and ethnological things that were given to the Governor of Kamschatlca by Captain Cook's party after tho death of the latter. These relics were sent by tho Governor to St. Petersburg, where they remained until two or three years ago, .when the boxes containing them were opened,' but no one knew where they carno from. Luckily, a professor in the St. Petersburg University, who had been to Honolulu,' recognised them. He wrote to mo'about them, and I went there specially to see- them. Being a Fellow of the Imperial Academy of Science at St. Petersburg, I had full run of the relics, and I am to receive photographs of each one of them. Tho relics were very choice, although there was nothing new amongst them except a black feather helmet, which is a'varo. curiosity. : We have in the Bishop Museum probably the largest collection of Captain Cook relics .that exist in the world, and in regard .'to these new ones^rira- '"aref going;,- to'-,l>u'ild-a new wing for the'purpose of providing for Papuan relics, and this, it is expected, will cost about 100,000 dollars.' ,

In. .Dresden I found most remarkable, specimens of pottery mado by the natives' in Dutch Now Guinea. Their excellence was astonishing, and far excelled the work of the Peruvians. I found I could get more New Guinea relics in. England than in Australia from the different museums. Russia is one of flra most delightful countries to travel'through. Their pictures and sculpture are as fine as the best in the world. They have one galleTy full of Vandykes, any one of which would be a jewel in a' collection. 11l tho Hermitage we saw a. beautiful clock, which was given to Catherine. It is in the form of a large peacock, and spreads its wings when tho hours are being sounded, whilst Hie time appears on a toadstool at the foot of the bird. They also had a beauti-fully-polished greenstone, 18ft. lons, 6ft. wide, and 4in. or sin. thick, all in one piece. There were two desks with all sorts'of compartments about them, and which took the experts originally threeyears to get all open without'injuring tho desk. Other novelties they had were white- sapphires, ■ green diamond.?, and, amongst other things, tho dressing-gown, slippers, ind dress sword of Napoleon, which-he left behind on his retreat from Moscow."