Captain Cook\'s Journal During the First Voyage Round the World - James Cook
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CAPTAIN COOK'S JOURNAL.
FIRST VOYAGE.
(PLATE: PORTRAIT OF CAPTAIN JAMES COOK WITH A FACSIMILE OF HIS SIGNATURE.
Collotype, Waterlow & Sons Ltd.)
CAPTAIN COOK'S JOURNAL
DURING HIS
FIRST VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD
MADE IN
H.M. BARK "ENDEAVOUR"
1768-71
A Literal Transcription of the Original MSS.
WITH
NOTES AND INTRODUCTION
EDITED BY
CAPTAIN W.J.L. WHARTON, R.N., F.R.S.
Hydrographer of the Admiralty.
Illustrated by Maps and Facsimiles.
LONDON
ELLIOT STOCK, 62 PATERNOSTER ROW
1893
43931
DEDICATED BY PERMISSION
TO
ADMIRAL H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH,
K.G., ETC.,
WHOSE DEEP INTEREST IN ALL MATTERS CONNECTED WITH
THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE BRITISH NAVY
IS WELL KNOWN TO ALL WHO HAVE HAD
THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING WITH HIM.
PREFACE.
STRANGE it must appear that the account of perhaps the most celebrated
and, certainly to the English nation, the most momentous voyage of
discovery that has ever taken place--for it practically gave birth to the
great Australasian Colonies--has never before been given to the world in
the very words of its great leader. It has fallen out in this wise.
After the return of the Endeavour it was decided that a full and
comprehensive account of the voyage should be compiled. COOK'S JOURNAL
dealt with matters from the point of view of the seaman, the explorer,
and the head of the expedition, responsible for life, and for its general
success. The Journals of Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander looked from the
scientific side on all that presented itself to their enthusiastic
observation.
What could be better than to combine these accounts, and make up a
complete narrative from them all?
The result, however, according to our nineteenth-century ideas, was not
altogether happy. Dr. Hawkesworth, into whose hands the Journals were
put, not only interspersed reflections of his own, but managed to impose
his own ponderous style upon many of the extracts from the united
Journals; and, moreover, as they are all jumbled together, the whole
being put into Cook's mouth, it is impossible to know whether we are
reading Cook, Banks, Solander, or Hawkesworth himself.
The readers of the day were not, however, critical. Hawkesworth's book,*
(* "Hawkesworth's Voyages" 3 volumes quarto 1773.) which undoubtedly
contains all the most generally interesting passages of the three
writers, gave a clear description of the events of the voyage in a
connected manner, and was accepted as sufficient; and in the excitement
of devouring the pages which introduced so many new lands and peoples,
probably few wished for more, and the Journals were put away as dealt
with.
Since that time it has been on several occasions in contemplation to
publish Mr. (after Sir Joseph) Banks' Journal; but this has never been
accomplished.
Cook's Journal was in triplicate. The Admiralty Orders of the day
enjoined that the captain should keep a journal of proceedings, a copy of
which was to be forwarded to the Admiralty every six months, or as soon
after as possible. In the case of this voyage the ship was two and a half
years from England before any opportunity of sending this copy occurred.
The ship was the whole of this time in new and savage lands. When Batavia
was reached the duplicate of Cook's Journal was sent home, and six months
later, when the ship arrived in England, the full Journal of the voyage
was deposited at the Admiralty.
The Secretary of the Admiralty, Sir Philip Stephens, a personal friend
and appreciator of Cook, appears to have appropriated the Batavia
duplicate, as we find it in the hands of his descendants, and passing
thence by sale, first to Mr. Cosens in 1868, and then in 1890 to Mr. John
Corner.
The other and complete copy is still in possession of the Admiralty,
though in some unexplained manner it was absent for some years, and was
only recovered by the exertions of Mr. W. Blakeney, R.N.
A third copy of the Journal also terminates a few days before reaching
Batavia. It is in the possession of Her Majesty the Queen, and from its
appearance was kept for, and probably presented to, George III, who took
great interest in the voyage.
Neither private possessors nor the Admiralty have felt moved to publish
this interesting document until Mr. Corner acquired his copy, when, being
an enthusiastic admirer of Captain Cook, he determined to do so, and was
making preliminary arrangements, when he suddenly died, after a few
hours' illness. His son, anxious to carry out his father's wishes, which
included the devotion of any proceeds to the restoration of Hinderwell
Church--the parish church of Staithes, whence Cook ran away to sea--has
completed these arrangements, and the present volume is the result.
The text is taken from Mr. Corner's copy so far as it goes, paragraphs
from the Admiralty copy, which do not appear in the former, being added,
with a notation of their source.
The last portion, from October 23rd, 1770, which is only given in the
Admiralty copy, is necessarily taken from it.
The three copies are, practically, identical, except for the period
August 13th to 19th, 1770, during which the wording is often different,
though the events are the same.
It is not very difficult to account for this.
The two first-mentioned Journals are in the handwriting of an amanuensis,
Mr. Orton, the clerk. No autograph journal is, so far as is known, in
existence, but some rough original must have been kept, as both copies
bear internal evidence of having been written up after the lapse of an
interval after the events described.
This is markedly the case in the Australian part of the Journal.
It is known that Botany Bay was at first called by Cook, Stingray Bay, on
account of the number of rays caught there; but after Banks had examined
his collection, and found all his plants new to science, Cook determined
to call it Botany Bay. It is, however, called Botany Bay from the first
in the Journals.
The name, "New South Wales," was not bestowed without much consideration,
and apparently at one stage New Wales was the appellation fixed upon, for
in Mr. Corner's copy it is so called throughout, whereas the Admiralty
copy has "New South Wales."
It would therefore seem that about the period of the discrepant accounts
Mr. Corner's copy was first made, and that Cook, in the Admiralty copy,
which for this part is fuller, revised the wording of his description of
this very critical portion of the voyage.
The Queen's Copy has been written with especial care, and by several
different hands. It was evidently the last in point of time.
In reading COOK'S JOURNAL of his First Voyage it must be remembered that
it was not prepared for publication. Though no doubt the fair copies we
possess were revised with the care that characterises the man, and which
is evidenced by the interlineations and corrections in his own hand with
which the pages are dotted, it may be supposed, from the example we have
in the published account of his Second Voyage, which was edited by
himself, that further alterations and additions would have been made, to
make the story more complete, had he contemplated its being printed.
This does not, however, in any way detract from the interest of a
transcript of his record on the spot; and though many circumstances
recorded in Hawkesworth, from Banks or others, will not be found, it is
probable that an exact copy of the great navigator's own impressions, and
the disentanglement of them from the other interpolated matter, will be
welcome.
In printing this Journal the only alterations that have been made are the
breaking-up into chapters, with modern headings; the addition of
punctuation; and in the form of the insertion of the daily record of
wind, weather, and position of the ship. These in the original are on the
left hand page in log form. To save space they have been placed at the
end of every day's transactions.
The eccentricities in the spelling have been preserved. A good many of
these would seem to be due to Mr. Orton, the transcriber, as Cook's own
letters are generally correct in their orthography. The use of the
capital letter was usual at the time.
References will be found to sketches and plans which have not been
reproduced.
Cook's knack of finding names for localities was peculiarly happy. Those
who have had to do this, know the difficulty. Wherever he was able to
ascertain the native name, he adopts it; but in the many cases where this
was impossible, he manages to find a descriptive and distinctive
appellation for each point, bay, or island.
He seems to have kept these names very much to himself, as it is seldom
the officers' logs know anything of them; and original plans, still in
existence, in many cases bear different names to those finally pitched
upon.
Cook's names have rarely been altered, and New Zealand and Australian
places will probably for all time bear those which he bestowed.
In the orthography of his native names he was not so successful. The
constant addition of a redundant "o" has altered many native sounds, such
as Otaheite for Tahiti, Ohwhyhee for Hawaii; while his spelling generally
has been superseded by more simple forms. This is a matter, however, in
which great difficulties are found to the present day by Englishmen,
whose language presents no certain laws for rendering any given sound
into a fixed combination of letters.
Cook's language is unvarnished and plain, as a sailor's should be. His
incidents, though often related with circumstance, are without
exaggeration; indeed if any fault is to be found, it is that he takes
occurrences involving much labour and hardship as such matters of course,
that it is not easy for the reader, especially if he be a landsman, to
realise what they really entail.
Cook was assiduous in obtaining observations to ascertain the Variation
of the compass--i.e., the difference between the direction shown by the
magnetic needle and the true north. He is constantly puzzled by the
discrepancies in these observations made at short intervals. These arose
from the different positions of the ship's head, whereby the iron within
a certain distance of the compass is placed in different positions as
regards the needle working the compass card, the result being that the
needle is attracted from its correct direction in varying degree. This is
known as the Deviation of the compass. The cause of this, and of the laws
which govern it, were only discovered by Captain Flinders in 1805.
Happily for the navigators of those days, little iron entered into the
construction of ships, and the amount of the Deviation was not large,
though enough to cause continual disquiet and wonderment.
Cook's longitudes in this voyage are all given as west of Greenwich, not
divided into east and west, as is usual at this day. The latter system
again has only been adopted universally since his time.
Though Cook himself gives, at the beginning of the Journal, a note of the
method of reckoning days adopted, it may not be amiss to give further
explanation here.
It was the usual custom on board ships to keep what was known as Ship
time--i.e., the day began at noon BEFORE the civil reckoning, in which
the day commences at midnight. Thus, while January 1st, as ordinarily
reckoned, is from midnight to midnight, in ship time it began at noon on
December 31st and ended at noon January 1st, this period being called
January 1st. Hence the peculiarity all through the Journal of the p.m.
coming before the a.m. It results that any events recorded as occurring
in the p.m. of January 1st in the log, would, if translated into the
ordinary system, be given as happening in the p.m. of December 31st;
while occurrences in the a.m. of January 1st would be equally in the a.m.
of January 1st in both systems.
This puzzling mode of keeping the day at sea continued to a late period,
and was common to seamen of all nations.
The astronomical day, again, begins at noon AFTER the midnight at which
the civil day begins, and hence is a whole day later than the ship's day.
This does not enter into Cook's Journal, but one of the logs of the
Endeavour, extant, that of Mr. Green the astronomer, was kept in this
time, and the events of say Thursday, June 24th, of Cook's Journal, are
therein given as happening on Wednesday, June 23rd. These differences of
reckoning have been a fertile source of confusion in dates in many
voyages.
Besides Cook's Journals there are other Journals and Logs of the voyage
extant. Perhaps it may be necessary to state that a Log is the official
document in which the progress of the ship from hour to hour is recorded,
with such official notes as the alteration in sail carried, expenditure
of provisions and stores, etc. A Journal contains this information in a
condensed form, with such observations as the officer keeping it may feel
inclined to insert.
The ship's Log Book of the Endeavour is in the British Museum. Mr. R.M.
Hudson of Sunderland possesses Cook's own log, not autograph however,
presented by Cook to Sir Hugh Palliser, the ancestor of his wife.
The Journals of all the officers of the Endeavour are preserved at the
Public Record Office. There is, however, nothing to be got out of them,
as they are mainly copies one of the other, founded on the ship's log.
The portion of Mr. Molineux's, the Master's, Log that exists (at the
Admiralty) is a most beautifully kept and written document, enriched with
charts and sketches that attest the accuracy of Cook's remark, that he
was a "young man of good parts."
The log kept by Mr. Green, however, does contain a few original remarks,
some of which have been made use of. This book contains a mass of
astronomical observations, and witnesses to the zeal of this gentleman in
his especial duty.
He records in one place, when far away from land, his disgust that the
officers were unwilling to aid him in lunar observations. No doubt they
saw no particular use in them when there was no coast to fix; but there
is ample proof that he received every aid when Cook thought it necessary.
Sufficient charts have been placed in this book to enable the reader to
follow the more interesting parts of the voyage; some being reproductions
of Cook's own charts, others modern publications. In the case of the
coast of East Australia, the coast-line as laid down by Cook, and as now
known, are given side by side for comparison.
It must be understood, that although this book is styled CAPTAIN COOK'S
JOURNAL, he was on this voyage only a Lieutenant in Command, and
therefore only Captain by courtesy.
W.J.L. WHARTON.
FLORYS, WIMBLEDON PARK,
April 7th, 1893.
CONTENTS.
SKETCH OF CAPTAIN COOK'S LIFE.
LIST OF PERSONS WHO LEFT ENGLAND IN H.M.S. ENDEAVOUR, 26TH AUGUST, 1768.
CHAPTER 1. ENGLAND TO RIO JANEIRO.
CHAPTER 2. RIO JANEIRO TO TAHITI.
CHAPTER 3. TAHITI.
CHAPTER 4. TAHITI TO NEW ZEALAND.
CHAPTER 5. EXPLORATION OF NEW ZEALAND.
CHAPTER 6. EXPLORATION OF MIDDLE ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND.
CHAPTER 7. PASSAGE FROM NEW ZEALAND TO NEW HOLLAND.
CHAPTER 8. EXPLORATION OF EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA.
CHAPTER 9. FROM TORRES STRAIT TO BATAVIA.
CHAPTER 10. BATAVIA TO CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.
CHAPTER 11. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE TO ENGLAND.
INDEX.
[ILLUSTRATIONS.
1. PORTRAIT OF CAPTAIN JAMES COOK WITH A FACSIMILE OF HIS SIGNATURE.
COLLOTYPE, WATERLOW & SONS LTD.
2. MODERN CHART OF SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN SHOWING TRACK OF H.M.S. ENDEAVOUR,
1769 TO 1770.
3. FACSIMILE OF SATURDAY, 3RD JUNE, 1769.
4. CHART OF THE ISLAND OTAHEITE, BY LIEUTENANT JAMES COOK, 1769.
REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHED CHART.
5. TAHITI: TYPES OF CANOES.
6. CHART OF THE SOCIETY ISLES, DISCOVERED BY LIEUTENANT JAMES COOK, 1769.
REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHED CHART.
7. WAR CANOE OF NEW ZEALAND.
8. TRACK OF ENDEAVOUR FROM TORRES STRAIT TO JAVA. AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER
1770.
9. FACSIMILE OF TUESDAY, 23RD OCTOBER, 1770.
10. CHART OF NEW ZEALAND, EXPLORED IN 1769 AND 1770, BY LIEUTENANT I:
COOK, COMMANDER OF HIS MAJESTY'S BARK ENDEAVOUR, ENGRAVED BY I. BAYLY.
REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHED CHART.
11. PRINTERS' PLATE: Owl on books, distant town, hills, tree and moon.
"REST, PRAY, SLEEP."
Elliott Stock, 62, Paternoster Row.]
SKETCH OF CAPTAIN COOK'S LIFE.
CAPTAIN COOK'S life, or the account of so much of it as is recoverable,
has been so often recounted that there is no occasion to insert more in
this publication than is necessary as a reference to the reader, to
enable him to realise the career and character of the man.
Cook's first biographer, Andrew Kippis, wrote in 1788, and his work has
recently been republished.* (* "A Narrative of the Voyage round the
World, performed by Captain James Cook, with an Account of His Life" by
A. Kippis, D.D., F.R.S. London: Bickers & Son 1889.)
The latest and best life is by Walter Besant,* (* "Captain Cook" by
Walter Besant: "English Men of Action" London, Macmillan & Co. 1890.)
whose graceful pen has given us a fascinating, interesting, and, as far
as is possible, complete picture of this great Englishman. Many details
of Cook's private life are lost, but enough has been collected by Mr.
Besant to place our hero vividly before us, and a perusal of his work is
strongly recommended.
Many things in the following sketch are taken from Mr. Besant, to whom I
wish to tender my acknowledgments.
James Cook rose from nearly the lowest ranks. The second son of James
Cook, a Yorkshire labourer, and Grace his wife, he was born on the edge
of the Cleveland Hills on February 27th, 1728, in the little village of
Marton, which lies about four miles south-south-east of Middlesborough,
and five miles west of the well-known hill and landmark, Roseberry
Topping. Eight years later his father removed to Great Ayton, which lies
close under Roseberry Topping.
At the age of thirteen Cook, who, it is recorded, had had some elementary
schooling both at Marton and Great Ayton, was apprenticed to one
Sanderson, a draper and grocer of Staithes, a fishing village on the
coast, about fourteen miles from Ayton and nine north-west of Whitby.
A year later Cook went, or ran away, to sea, shipping at Whitby on board
the Freelove, a collier belonging to the brothers Walker.
In this hard school Cook learnt his sailor duties. No better training
could have been found for his future responsibilities. Here he learnt to
endure the utmost rigours of the sea. Constant fighting with North Sea
gales, bad food, and cramped accommodation, taught him to regard with the
indifference that afterwards distinguished him, all the hardships that he
had to encounter, and led him to endure and persevere where others, less
determined or more easily daunted by difficulties, would have hurried on,
and left their work incomplete.
All details of Cook's life during his thirteen years in the merchant
service are lost: what voyages he made, how he fared, whether he advanced
in general knowledge, all is gone. The only fact known is that in May
1755, when Cook was twenty-seven years of age, and mate of a vessel of
Messrs. Walker, then in the Thames, he, to avoid the press, then active
on account of the outbreak of the war with France, volunteered on board
H.M.S. Eagle, of 60 guns, as an able seaman.
Captain Hugh Palliser, who succeeded to the command of this ship in
October, was certainly Cook's warmest patron, and it would appear that
Cook did work superior to that of an able seaman in the Eagle. Be that as
it may, all that is absolutely known is that that ship took her share of
the fighting at the taking of Louisbourg and elsewhere on the North
American and West Indian Station, and returned to England in 1759.
By Palliser's interest Cook was now appointed master of the Mercury. It
is therefore evident that his qualifications as a navigator recommended
themselves to Palliser.
The Mercury went to North America, and here Cook did his first good
service recorded, namely, taking soundings in the St. Lawrence, to enable
the fleet then attacking Quebec to take up safe positions in covering the
army under Wolfe. This he accomplished with great skill, under many
difficulties, in the face of the enemy, much of it being done at night.
He was immediately employed in making a survey of the intricate channels
of the river below Quebec, and for many years his chart was the guide for
navigation. Cook was indeed a born surveyor. Before his day charts were
of the crudest description, and he must have somehow acquired a
considerable knowledge of trigonometry, and possessed an intuitive
faculty for practically applying it, to enable him to originate, as it
may truly be said he did, the art of modern marine surveying.
The expedition to Quebec concluded, Cook was appointed master of the
Northumberland, bearing Admiral Lord Colville's flag, and during that
ship's winter at Halifax he applied himself to further study of
mathematics and astronomy.
In 1762, the Northumberland being at Newfoundland during the capture of
that island from the French, Cook again was employed in surveys. This
attracted the attention of Captain Graves, the Governor, who conceived a
high opinion of his abilities in this respect.
In the latter part of 1762 Cook returned to England and married Elizabeth
Batts, daughter of a man in business at Wapping; but a few months
afterwards he was called upon by Captain Graves to go again to
Newfoundland to make marine surveys.
In this important work he was engaged until 1767, Captain Palliser, who
succeeded Captain Graves as Governor, being only too glad to avail
himself of Cook's services.
The charts he made during these years in the schooner Grenville were
admirable. The best proof of their excellence is that they are not yet
wholly superseded by the more detailed surveys of modern times. Like all
first surveys of a practically unknown shore, and especially when that
shore abounds in rocks and shoals, and is much indented with bays and
creeks, they are imperfect, in the sense of having many omissions; but
when the amount of the ground covered, and the impediments of fogs and
bad weather on that coast is considered, and that Cook had at the most
only one assistant, their accuracy is truly astonishing. The originals of
these surveys form part of the most precious possessions of the
Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty.
We now approach the crowning achievements of Cook's life.
After many years' neglect the exploration of the Pacific was awaking
interest. This great ocean, which very few, even to this day, realise
occupies nearly one half of the surface of the globe, had been, since the
first voyage of Magellan, crossed by many a vessel.
Notwithstanding, very little was known of the islands occupying its
central portion.
For this there were two reasons. First, the comparatively small area
covered by islands; secondly, the fact that nearly all who traversed it
had followed Magellan's track, or, if they started, as many did, from
Central America, they made straight for Magellan's discovery, the Ladrone
Islands. For this, again, there was a reason.
Few sailed for the purpose of exploration pure and simple; and even those
who started with that view found, when embarked on that vast expanse,
that prudence dictated that they should have a moderate certainty of, by
a certain time, falling in with a place of sure refreshment. The
provisions they carried were bad at starting, and by the time they had
fought their way through the Straits of Magellan were already worse;
water was limited, and would not hold out more than a given number of
days. Every voyage that is pursued tells the same story--short of water,
and eagerly looking out for an opportunity of replenishing it. The winds
were found to blow in fixed directions, and each voyager was fearful of
deviating from the track on which it was known they would be fair, for
fear of delays. And ever present in each captain's mind was the dread of
the terrible scourge, scurvy. Every expedition suffered from it. Each
hoped they would be exempt, and each in turn was reduced to impotence
from its effects.
It was the great consideration for every leader of a protracted
expedition, How can I obviate this paralyzing influence? And one after
another had to confess his failure.
It is yearly becoming more difficult for us to realise these obstacles.
The prevailing winds and currents in each part of the ocean are well
known to us: the exact distance and bearing from one point to another are
laid down in the chart; steam bridges over calm areas, and in many cases
conducts us on our entire journey at a speed but little inferior to that
of land travelling by railroad; modern science preserves fresh and
palatable food for an indefinite period; and, in a word, all the
difficulties and most of the dangers of long voyages have disappeared.
Take one element alone in long voyages--the time required. The average
progress of a ship in the eighteenth century was not more than fifty
miles a day. Nowadays we may expect as much as four hundred miles in a
full powered steamer, and not less than one hundred and fifty in a
well-fitted sailing ship.