CAPTAIN COOK IN NEW SOUTH WALES
This being the age of criticism, and not the time of taking for granted as a fact whatever one had heard from book or speech, an investigation of the story of Cook's Discovery of New South Wales may neither be unwelcome nor unexpected.
The story must have been deemed of consequence, when the Admiralty was willing to pay Dr. Hawkesworth six thousand guineas, or pounds, as reported, to write the account of that voyage in H.M.S. Endeavour.
Though even after its appearance some doubts were expressed as to its propriety, or even veracity, yet some allowance was made for professional jealousies, as well as for the paucity of information upon Australian matters, and the want of means either to substantiate or reject the assertions of the writer.
Objection was taken to the literary mode adopted. The author chose to make the narrative in the form of a personal record of events. The Captain was represented as speaking of himself, saying, "I saw," or "I did," &c. It was asserted by critics that to accomplish this personal mode of narration, there would necessarily arise some difficulties in the rearrangement of his sources of history. Was there not a little temptation in the adoption of that plan to alter, repress, or exaggerate facts, or even to invent trivial matters for accommodation?
The book had a wonderful sale, and no great amount of hostile remarks. Dr. Hawkesworth's death, so soon after the publication, disarmed those ready to question. Cook's fellow-voyagers, Banks, Matra, and the officers of the Endeavour, were either silent, absent, or unqualified to speak. Thoughtful men did inquire into the sources of the writer's information, their extent, and authenticity. The singular dispersion, loss, or destruction of such sources were fresh causes of embarrassment. Mr., afterwards Sir Joseph, Banks, is said to have declared that he furnished no assistance to the Editor.
Here it may be at once announced that this inquiry into the published Voyage of the Endeavour through the pen of Dr. Hawkesworth, has little to do with Cook as a man and a navigator. The story was written by a literary man, commanded or selected, and the Grand Old Sailor who has for so long a time engrossed the affectionate interest and respectful regard of all Australians, as the discoverer, or, if you will, the re-discoverer of the eastern side of New Holland, will not suffer in our esteem by the criticism of a book about the voyage.
Though that side happened to be that chosen for the New South Wales early settlement, yet the people of South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New Zealand, and Tasmania, with its emigrating offspring of Port Phillipnow Victorialands first seen by Hollanders a century or more before Cook was born, have the like reverence as those of Sydney for the indirect cause of British extension in those Southern Colonies.
Canada is as indebted to the scientific pilot of the St. Lawrence for the addition of its western woodlands to the British Empire, as the continent and islands of Australia may be to the Yorkshire mariner on the Pacific, for their occupation by our countrymen under the Crown.
No one who reads with pleasure the Voyage of the Resolution, about which no doubts ever existed, will think the less of James Cook, because the narrative of the Endeavour had the misfortune to be prepared, in his absence, by a less capable historian. As the worthy Captain always candidly acknowledged his inability, from defective education, and from absorption in seamanlike pursuits from his early boyhood, to tell his own tale, we naturally wonder how Dr. Hawkesworth compiled the adventurous voyage of the Endeavour.
The natural answer would be the Logs and Journals of the voyagers. Cook himself wrote very little, but there are now in existence several Journals attributed to him, or written under his direction. Those in the so-called Queen's Log, the Admiralty Log, the British Museum Log (presented by Banks), and that one in the possession of the Hudson family at Sunderland. There is, also, in the British Museum one precious Autograph Log whose records included the Australian portion of the voyage, in Cook's handwriting, and the only one extant which we expect can claim to be written by himself. Others are reported copies, by ships' clerks, sent home from Java.
What great differences may be observed even in these Logs? or, in what way does the official "Cook's Voyage" differ from any of them?
The most important points are those affecting the names of Botany Bay and New South Wales , with the language used in taking possession of the new Territory .
We have next to consider whether there are Logs remaining which were compiled by officers of the ship Endeavour.
A few years ago, behind some old wainscotting in the Deptford Government Victualling Yard, were discovered several Logs of the interesting ship, which are now safely preserved in the admirably conducted Public Record Office, Chancery Lane.
Do these veritable Logs and Journals throw any light upon the disputed questions respecting Botany Bay and New South Wales? The plain unvarnished tale of seamen, though oftentimes copied from each other, yet evidently written down at the period of the occurrence of events, may be set against the much varied accounts attributed to Cook himself, and in copies recorded to have been sent home from Java, where so many of the crew were sick.
But these copies were, apparently, made by the same transcribers, and done upon the same plan. There were blank spaces left for the day and date, with other spaces for the after insertion of the locality visited. It is not a little singular that our navigator should allow these Logs to be sent forth in so incomplete a state. It is not to be wondered that, if en route, or upon arrival in England, such copies should have these spaces more or less filled up, according to order, or to the fancy of the copyist.
We are thus prepared for the remarkable aspect of one called after its salesman, Mr. Corner, and now in Sydney's custody.
I had three opportunities, as a supposed expert, of examining that Log. I pointed out, in a personal interview with a distinguished Admiralty authority, my reasons for doubt as to its authenticity as a genuine Cook.
Corner's Log has side references in a hand differing from that in the text. The days named are clearly written by another party, and in red ink. The first copyist never ventured to name place or date, but left the open spaces to be filled by another. This Log names both Point Hicks and Cape Howe, unknown in earlier copies of the voyage chronicles.
There is some reason to think that Corner's document may have served as one of the authorities with Dr. Hawkesworth. Thus, it records "the bay which I called Edgecombe Bay," while the published work says "the bay I called Edgecombe Bay." Corner has it, of a native woman, "had nothing to cover her nudities"; but the author states "both were stark naked." In cases, the penknife was used: as,
