CAPT. WILLIAM JACKSON BARRY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 9, 15 November 1883, Page 2

CAPT. WILLIAM JACKSON BARRY.

Captain Barry gave his first lecture on Tuesday night at Makaraka to a very appreciative audience. He spoke of New South Wales when it was a penal settlement, where he arrived when a boy in 1829. He then dwelt on the New Zealand of 1835, when he was trading with the Maoris ; also of hair-breadth escapes on the Three Kings ; also of shipwrecks on the N. W. coast of New Holland, where he lived on ahell-fish for six weeks ; of his experience on the Californian gold fields in 1849 ; of his return to England after an absence of 51 years, which proved very interesting and amusing ; of his return to New Zealand, and his prospecting tour through the King Country, which proved full of information and instruction. The lecturer was greatly cheered at the termination of his narrative.

Last night he addressed a numerous audience in the Academy of Music, when he related his experiences in a tour round the world, commencing from the year 1828, when he arrived in Sydney at the age of 10. He also spoke at length of New Zealand in the year 1833 ; his travels in California in 1849 ; and also narrated some very interesting vzhaling adventures. He then took his audience to India, and then to England. This portion of the lecture proved most interesting aud elicited hearty applause. He related several stories regarding several celebrities, amongst whom not the least interesting was his interview with the claimant to the Tichborne estate. At the conclusion of one of the most amusing lectures we have ever heard, the Captain read an autograph letter from Her Majesty, and then recited some poetry which brought down the house. A vote of thanks to the chairman, closed the proceedings.