The water on the New Guinea coast was very shallow, and kept them far out
in running westward, but on 3rd September they got a little nearer in, so
Cook decided to attempt a landing, and then to leave, as he considered it
was only wasting valuable time to go over ground that had already been
explored by the Dutch. Banks says the crew were rather sickly, they:
"were pretty far gone with the longing for home, which the physicians
have gone so far as to esteem a disease under the name of Nostalgia.
Indeed, I can find hardly anybody in the ship clear of its effects, but
the Captain, Dr. Solander, and myself, and we three have ample constant
employment for our minds, which I believe to be the best if not the only
remedy for it."
They were also on short allowance of food, which would necessarily have a
depressing effect, and when they learnt that Cook would return to
civilisation where fresh supplies could be obtained, there was a marked
improvement in the general health.
Calling in at the island of Savu, some supplies were obtained, and the
country is described as very lovely, although there had been no rain for
seven months; the contrast with the monotonous and barren-looking country
of New Holland was very marked.
AT BATAVIA.
According to strict orders from the Admiralty, Cook on 30th September
collected all logs and journals that had been kept on board the ship, and
enjoined every one that they were on no account to divulge where they had
been on their arrival at Batavia. Off Java Head the main topsail was
split in a squall, and Cook remarks that all his sails are now in such a
condition that "they will hardly stand the least puff of wind." No
observations had been possible since leaving Savu, and the strong western
current had thrown out their dead reckoning, causing them to run past the
Straits of Sunda; but, picking themselves up on 1st October, they got
into the straits, and after a wearisome beat up arrived in Batavia on the
10th; and Hicks was sent on shore to announce their arrival, and offer an
apology for failing to salute the Dutch flag in a proper manner--the
reason being that they had only three guns available.
The ship was thoroughly surveyed, and on the carpenter's report, Cook
applied to the Governor for a convenient place in which to heave down and
repair, and for permission to purchase such stores as might be necessary.
Every assistance was promised, and on Cook's finding a difficulty in
getting any private person to cash the bills he would have to draw for
his expenses, the Governor ordered the officer in charge of the port to
supply whatever amount might be necessary.
During a heavy thunderstorm on the 12th, a Dutch East Indiaman, about two
cables away from the Endeavour, had mainmast "split all to shivers." The
Endeavour was also struck:
"and in all probability we should have shared the same fate as the
Dutchman, had it not been for the electric chain which we had but just
before got up; this carried the Lightning or Electrical matter over the
side clear of the ship."
On 25th October Cook reopened communication with the Admiralty,
forwarding to Mr. Stephens, by the Dutch East Indiaman Kronenberg,
Captain F. Kelgar, a packet containing a copy of his Journal (sold to Mr.
John Corner in 1890), charts of the South Seas, New Zealand, and the East
Coast of Australia. He also wrote a letter giving an outline of his
voyage up to date, and concludes:
"In this Journal, I have with undisguised Truth and without gloss,
inserted the whole transactions of the Voyage, and made such remarks and
have given such descriptions of things as I thought was necessary, in the
best manner I was capable of. Although the discoverys made in the Voyage
are not great, yet I flatter myself they are such as may merit the
Attention of their Lordships, and altho' I have failed in discovering the
so much talked of Southern Continent (which perhaps do not exist), and
which I myself had much at heart, yet I am confident that no part of the
failure of such discovery can be laid to my charge. Had we been so
fortunate not to have run ashore, much more would have been done in the
latter part of the Voyage than what was, but as it is, I presume this
Voyage will be found as compleat as any before made to the South Seas on
the same account.
PRAISES HIS CREW.
"The plans I have drawn of the places I have been at, were made with all
the care and accuracy that Time and Circumstances would admit of. Thus
far I am certain that the Latitude and Longitude of few parts of the
World are better settled than these, in this I was very much assisted by
Mr. Green, who let slip no one opportunity for making observations for
settling the Longitude during the whole course of the Voyage, and the
many valuable discoverys made by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander in Natural
History and other things useful to the learned World, cannot fail of
contributing very much to the success of the Voyage. In justice to the
officers and the whole of the crew, I must say, they have gone through
the fatigues and dangers of the Whole Voyage with that cheerfulness and
alertness that will always do honour to the British Seamen, and I have
the satisfaction to say that I have not lost one man by Sickness during
the whole Voyage. I hope that the repairs wanting to the Ship will not be
so great as to detain us any length of time; You may be assured that I
shall make no unnecessary delay either here or at any other place, but
shall make the best of my way home."
Banks, too, notes that there were no sick on board, and contrasts the
rosy, healthy appearance of the crew with the pallid faces of the
Europeans of Batavia. But on 26th October a series of disastrous entries
commence in the Journal.
"Set up the ship's tents for the reception of the ship's company, several
of them begin to be taken ill, owing as I suppose to the extream hot
weather."
Batavia had an ill-omened reputation, and it has been estimated that from
1735 to 1755 no less than 1,000,000 deaths took place, chiefly from
malarial fever and dysentery, and Cook had soon cause to regret that the
Dutch had undertaken the repairs of the ship, leaving his men to look on.
He knew well the evil effects of want of occupation in such a climate,
though he could not guess what it was to cost him. Up to this time he had
only seven deaths to record since leaving Plymouth; three from drowning,
two frozen (Mr. Banks's servants), one consumption, and one alcoholic
poisoning: probably a record never equalled in the history of navigation.
On 5th November Mr. Monkhouse, the surgeon, died, and Cook, Banks, and
Solander were very ill. The two last went up into the hills, but Cook
would not leave his ship.
Meanwhile the repairs went on; the ship was found to be worse than had
been expected; two planks and a half had been rasped by the rocks to the
thickness of one eighth of an inch for a distance of six feet:
"and here the worms had made their way quite into the timbers, so that it
was a matter of surprise to every one who saw her bottom, how we had kept
her above water, and yet in this condition we had sailed some hundreds of
leagues in as dangerous a navigation as in any part of the world, happy
in being ignorant of the continual danger we were in."
By the 14th her bottom was thoroughly repaired, and Cook speaks highly of
the Dutch workmen:
"I do not believe there is a Marine Yard in the World where work is done
with more alertness than here, or where there are better conveniences for
heaving ships down, both in point of safety and Despatch."
The water, a perquisite of the Commodore of the Dutch East Indian fleet,
was very unsatisfactory, and was found to keep very badly at sea,
although its keeping properties had been loudly vaunted by the Commodore.
Cook was present at his appointment:
"one of the grandest sights Batavia afforded; that may be too, and yet it
did not recompense us for our trouble. I thought that the whole was but
ill conducted, and the fleet appeared to be very badly mann'd."
A seaman who had run from a Dutch ship entered on the Endeavour, was
claimed by the Dutch on the grounds that he was a Dane from Elsinore.
Cook promised he should be given up if he proved not to be a British
subject, and enquiry by Mr. Hicks resulted in a report to the Governor
that he was an Irishman, so the matter dropped. His name was James Marra,
and he will be again met with as gunner's mate on the Resolution.
DEATH OF TUPIA.
Before leaving Batavia there had been seven deaths, including Mr.
Reynolds, artist, and Tupia and his boy servant, and Cook gives the
number of sick as "forty or more." Hoping the sea breezes might have a
beneficial effect, preparations were hurried forward, and they managed to
leave the day after Christmas Day, being duly saluted by the garrison
with fourteen guns, and the Earl of Elgin with thirteen guns and three
cheers, "all of which we return'd."
Calling at Prince's Island in the straits of Sunda, where some of the
Batavian water was replaced by better, the sailors were allowed to
purchase whatever they fancied in hopes of diminishing the dysentery
which was rampant. Every precaution that could be thought of was tried,
but in vain. Mr. Banks lost Messrs. Sporing and Parkinson, and on 29th
January Mr. Green died; he had been long ill, but Cook says he would not
take proper care of himself. To judge from his own Journal, he must have
been rather a difficult man to get on with, but his services as observer
were invaluable, and he at all times and seasons was devoted to his
special duty: indeed, at times he appears to have thought that every
other work should give way to his. It is a somewhat suggestive fact that
Banks hardly makes any reference to Mr. Green throughout his Journal. On
27th February the terrible list of losses was closed by the deaths of
three of the crew, making in all thirty deaths since their arrival at
Batavia.
It was afterwards discovered that the season in Batavia had been
unusually unhealthy, and several ships that had called in there had to
report heavy losses. Cook says:
"Thus we find that ships which have been little more than twelve months
from England have suffer'd as much or more by sickness than we have done,
who have been out near three times as long. Yet their sufferings will
hardly, if at all, be mentioned or known in England; when, on the other
hand, those of the Endeavour, because her voyage is uncommon, will very
probably be mentioned in every News Paper, and, what is not unlikely,
with Additional hardships we never Experienced; for such are the
dispositions of men in general in these Voyages, that they are seldom
content with the Hardships and Dangers which will naturally occur, but
they must add others which hardly ever had existence but in their
imaginations, by magnifying the most Trifling accidents and Circumstances
to the greatest Hardships, and unsurmountable Dangers without the
immediate interposition of Providence, as if the whole merit of the
Voyages consisted in the real dangers and Hardships they underwent, or
that the real ones did not happen often enough to give the mind
sufficient anxiety. Thus Posterity are taught to look upon these Voyages
as hazardous to the highest degree."
AT THE CAPE.
On 6th March land was sighted at daylight, about two leagues away, near
Cape Natal, and on the 15th the Cape of Good Hope was seen. The first
thing to be done was to provide shelter ashore for his sick, of whom he
landed twenty-eight, and during the stay the remainder of the crew were
given every possible opportunity of being on land, as Cook recognised the
value of an entire change of life in shaking off the remnants of
sickness. He lost three more of his men here, and hearing from a Dutch
ship just in from Europe that war was threatening between England and
Spain, he hurried up his preparations for departure and got all his men
on board, though some were still very ill. In addition he managed to
enter some half-dozen men for the voyage home.
In writing of the Cape, Cook draws attention to the fact:
"that a stranger is at once struck with surprise and disappointment, for
no country we have seen this voyage affords so barren a prospect as this,
and not only so in appearance but in reality."
Then further on he says:
"Notwithstanding the many disadvantages this country labours under, such
is the industry, economy, and good management of the Dutch, that not only
the necessary, but all the Luxuries of Life are raised here in great
abundance, and are sold as cheap, if not cheaper, than in any part of
Europe, some few articles excepted."
On the other hand, he complains of the exorbitant charges made by the
Dutch East India Company for naval stores. As at Batavia, they were sold
at a certain fixed price from which there was no deviation.
Calling in at St. Helena, they found H.M.Ss. Portland and Swallow, with a
convoy, in the roads, and received some few much-needed stores from them,
together with the information that all danger of war between Spain and
England was over. They all sailed in company on 5th May, but after a few
days Cook explained to Captain Elliott, of the Portland, who had come on
board the Endeavour, that his ship, sails, and rigging were naturally not
in very good order after his lengthy voyage, and therefore he should
probably be unable to keep up with the other ships. He requested the
Portland to take charge of letters, charts, and journals for the
Admiralty. These papers only arrived in England three days in advance of
the Endeavour. For some days the good Bark kept within easy reach of the
fleet, and was able to obtain extra medical advice for Mr. Hicks, who was
suffering from consumption when he left England, but had held out well
till stricken with the Batavian fever, when he gradually sank and died on
25th May; Mr. Charles Clerke was appointed third lieutenant, in place of
Mr. Gore, promoted. Since leaving the Cape they had also lost their
Master, Mr. Molineaux, of whose intelligence Cook speaks very highly, but
deplores his want of steadiness, the true cause of his early death. Mr.
Pickersgill was appointed to the vacancy.
ANCHOR IN THE DOWNS.
On the 21st June they were still in sight of some of the convoy, but
during the night they had their main topgallant sail split, and the
topmast sprung, in a heavy squall; in fact, their gear was in such a bad
state that something gave way daily. On 7th July they spoke a brig from
London, three days out from Scilly, and learnt that no account of their
proceedings had yet been made public, and that wagers were being laid
that the Endeavour was lost. On 10th July Nicholas Young, who had sighted
New Zealand, sighted the Land's End, and the Lizard was seen the next
day. On Saturday, 13th July 1771, "at 3 o'clock in the P.M. anchor'd in
the Downs and soon after I landed in order to repair to London."
Before leaving, Cook wrote to Mr. Stephens informing him of his arrival,
and announcing that he was coming up to the Admiralty to lay before their
Lordships a full account of the whole voyage, and that the ship was to
await further orders. He hopes that the appointments that he has made
will meet with approval, and requests that his charts, plans, and
drawings may be laid before the authorities.
On 2nd August, Stephens wrote to him at Mile End, saying he had received
the papers sent from Batavia, those by the Portland and those from the
Downs, and that they had been laid before their Lordships. He goes on:
"I have the pleasure to acquaint you that their Lordships extremely well
approve of the whole of your proceedings and that they have great
satisfaction in the account you have given them of the good behaviour of
your officers and men and of the cheerfulness and alertness with which
they went through the fatigues and dangers of their late Voyage."
He also notifies at the same time that the appointments made have all
been confirmed.
Cook himself was appointed Commander of the Scorpion on 29th August, but
owing to other arrangements being made did not put in an appearance on
his new ship. Isaac Smith and Isaac Manly were appointed respectively
Master's mate and midshipman, taking part in the Second Voyage, being too
young for further promotion.
The newspapers, of course, blossomed out into paragraphs on the subject
of the voyage, more or less correct, and Bingley's Journal on 23rd July
stated:
"In consequence of this discovery, more ships will be destined in search
of this new terrestrial acquisition."
Evidently it was quickly decided that Cook's rest was to be short. On
27th the same Journal says:
"His Majesty's Ship, the Endeavour, which is lately arrived in the River
from the East Indies, lost by the unhealthiness of the climate, 70 of her
hands, tho' they were picked men, and had been several times in the
Indies. However, those who survive will have made their fortunes by
traffic, having brought home some of the richest goods made in the east,
which they are suffered to dispose of without the inspection of the
Custom House officers. This, our correspondent says, is allowed them by
the Government as a reward for their hard and dangerous service during a
voyage of three years."
The amount of the "richest goods made in the East" obtained from New
Zealand, Australia, and Otaheite would be but a poor reward for three
years' strenuous service; and Cook here finds his premonition as to his
losses being exaggerated, only too true.
It is worthy of note that the number of punishments throughout the voyage
was remarkably small, those entered in the ship's log being twenty-one,
and the heaviest sentence, two dozen lashes for theft. In one case, that
of Mathew Cox, A.B., for disobedience and mutinous conduct, the culprit
proceeded civilly against Cook, on arrival in England, and the Admiralty
solicitors were instructed to defend. The case was probably allowed to
drop, as no result can be found.
LAST OF THE ENDEAVOUR.
The good ship which had so bravely borne her part, was not given much
rest; but after being paid off at Woolwich, was despatched, under
lieutenant James Gordon, to the Falkland Islands on 16th October, and
returned with "perishable and unserviceable" stores; in 1772 and 1773 she
again made voyages to the same destination, the last one to bring away
the garrison and stores, as those islands were to be handed over to
Spain. She was paid off at Woolwich in September 1774, and shortly
afterwards was sold out of the Navy for the sum of 645 pounds. She is
then believed to have been employed as a collier in the North Seas. Mr.
Gibbs, of the firm of Gibbs and Canning of Newport, Rhode Island, one day
pointed out to the English Consul the remains of an old vessel falling
into decay, and informed him that it was Captain Cook's ship, the
Endeavour. His story was that the French Government being anxious to
compete with England in the whale fishery, offered a bounty to the ships
in that trade sailing under the French flag. A Mr. Hayden purchased the
old ship from a Dunkirk firm and re-christened her La Liberte, loaded her
with oil and consigned her, under French colours, to Gibbs and Canning at
Newport. She was chased by an English ship, but escaped, and after laying
alongside a wharf for some months received a cargo, but running aground
in trying to leave the harbour, she was found in such a bad condition
that she was allowed to remain to drop to pieces. Enquiries into this
story gave satisfactory results, and a box made from her timbers was
presented to J. Fennimore Cooper, the American author, with letters
authenticating, as far as possible, the vessel from which the wood had
been taken. Miss Cooper mentions this box in her preface to her father's
Red Rover, and several other relics of the old ship are still to be found
in the neighbourhood of Newport.