Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World
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;