CAPTAIN BARRY'S LECTURE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 18 September 1880, Page 2

CAPTAIN BARRY'S LECTURE.

The redoubtable Captain William Jackson Barry appeared before a large audience at St. Jamus' Hall last evening. His Worship the Mayor occupied tlie cnair, and introduced the lecturer in a suitable manner. The eccentric and talented captain gave an account of his chequered career from his cradle to the time at which he was speaking. He dwelt with delicious minuteness on the peculiarities qf his scapegrace period. His lyiother \vas Scotch. Hig father was Irish, arf§ he v/as bqrn in - well, we forgotton where, but, we rrlay surely say, gome highly-; favored iocality, When he arrived at the age of ()—and we will venture to express an opinion that he was then a precocious young John Alcook, no doubt actuated by a desire to have the honor of being a humble instrument in the development of characteristics, of which remarkable men are made, took the incipient captain by the hand, and in the good ship Red Rover, they went—young Barry and one of the real live lords of England, a class ljetween. whom and the juvenile and matured Barry,there seems to have always existed an affinity approaching to brotherhood—''strange countries for to; see." Arnyed in Botany Bay, he fpund himself in company remarkably good and congenial tofhis adventurous tastes, His life anlongst the aboriginals wajj r&cily recounted, - Unfortunately, we 5 have rbo,m

but for one instance of this, which we give as a sample of his hygienic experiences. He lived like a fighting cock on oppossums and black snake*, the remains of the latter having been thrown over the shoulders of the dusky lords of Australian soil to him and the "lubras," with whom he seems—whether from choice or compulson report saith not—to have associated. He next came to New Zealand to astonish the natives. Here he met with a scion of the slightly numerous and most important family of the classic name of Jones—" Johnny Jones," he called him. Such an associate, together with a natural and irrepressible desire for adventure, ended in the youthful Sinbad sfarching out a whale somewhere in the Southern seas. The whale having been found, the hero of a thousand hair-breadth escapes proceeded to get on its back, and, in order to emulate the example of Hans Breitmann, he succeeded in getting a cord attached to his corpus rile, and started on a submarine exploring expedition. He did not, however, descend sufficiently low to dance with the fair hybrid demoiselles who are said to inhabit the coral caves below, or get " marri-ed to a mermi-aid at the bottom of the deep blue see-e-e." He was destined to perform a more important mission, and, as if to symbolise the ruling feature of his after existence, he rose to the surface. Wo could occupy columns with an interesting account of the Captain's colonial experiences, but want of space forbids. Like another celebrated man—Whittington—he seemed to have a strong affinity for mayoral honors, and served four terms with distinction. He told us how he killed four bullocks and fed the hungry multitude of the interior with beef and stout. -He said nothing about his pigs, which with excusable pride, he described in characteristic language to "Sir George"—but no matter. We must—though reluctantly—hasten our hero to the Old Country, which he visited after being an absentee for 51 years. He told us last night how the Grey Government offered him L4O to pay for a third-class passage Home in the interests of immigration, andho w, when he said, " Sir George, this is not good enough for me," the worthy knight gave him L2O out of his own pocket, and he proceeded to England with flying colors. There he played his cards with great skill—- " cunning dog," that he is. As he only had 17s 6d in his pocket, he did not immediately visit his friends the "Lords." He waited upon Sir Julius Vogel, and that functionary gave him LlO, to which he afterwards, being importuned, added another LSO. Having attended a meeting of the Rev. Mr. Berry, and heard him "a-chucking it at them," he thought it a favorable time for him to commence his lecturing operations. He accordingly expended Lls in advertisements—another evidence of his supetior wisdom—announcing meetings, which were attended by, we scarcely like to say how many people, But he by this means amassed wealth, to which was added a small donation of LSOO from a sister. He. then ordered a L2O seal-skin coat, and astonished the people of the metropolis of the world. Through chance - fortune always does favor the brave —he met Lord Rivers and Lord Roseberry at an hotel, and overhearing them conversing upon the "Claimant," he informed them that he knew something about that personage. This ended in a special train to Portsea and an interview with the Claimant, whom he recognised as Thomas Castro. He got into tlie pigskin in Worcestershire and, in com- | pany with Lady Vernon, coursed and hunted "across country," arriving third at the death. He drove round Rotten Row and Hyde Park between two live lords, and dined with Lord Beaconsfield at the Mayor's banquet. He lectured on a Nottingham platform before an audience of 5000, in company with 130 of the noblemen and gentlemen of England, on which occasion Dr. Kinnealy presided. In fact it would be difficult to say where he did not go, whom he did not see, what he did not do, and what ho did not say. Every now and thea he would burst into the rapturous exclamation, "Show me another man in New Zealand that could go to the Old Country, after being absent for 51 years, with only 17s Gd in his pocket, j and publish a book like that I hold in my hand at a cost of LI 200, and return to the Colony alive." He said, "It might be strange to you all that I was able to associate so freely with the nobility of England ; but my father was a gentleman, and blood will tell, go where you will." He showed and read the Queen's letter with considerable pride. The lecturer was frequently applauded, and kept his audience in an almost continuous roar of mirth throughout. He will lecture again to-night, and we can promise a treat to all who go to hear him.