On 4th September Midshipman Colnett sighted a large island, which was
named New Caledonia, the point first seen being called Cape Colnett. An
opening in the surrounding reef having been found by the boats, the
Resolution worked up to an anchorage and was quickly surrounded by canoes
whose occupants were totally unarmed. At first they were shy of coming
near, but at length one canoe was persuaded to receive some small
presents, and in return gave some fish which "stunk intolerably," but for
all that it was received in hopes more satisfactory trading might result.
To some who came on board dinner was offered, but they would touch
nothing but yams. They appeared to know nothing of dogs, goats, or hogs,
but greatly appreciated both red cloth and nails. Cook landed and was
well received, and water was pointed out, but it was too inconvenient of
access; the land near a village was well cultivated and irrigated, the
products being chiefly yams, plantains, and coconuts, the latter were not
bearing much fruit.
On 6th September Mr. Wales secured a moderately satisfactory observation
of an eclipse of the sun, and was able to fix their position as 20
degrees 17 minutes 39 seconds South, 164 degrees 41 minutes 21 seconds
East. On the same day the ship's butcher, Monk, "a man much esteemed in
the ship," fell down the forehatch, and died the following day from the
injury received. Whilst some of the crew were engaged in watering, a
small party went up the hills to view the surrounding country, but as all
the natives they met turned back to follow them, Cook remarks, "at last
our train was numerous." They were able to see right across the island,
and estimated the width to be not more than ten leagues. On returning it
was found the clerk had purchased a fish, something like a sun-fish; and
as the artist was engaged in drawing and describing it, the cook took the
liver and roe for supper in the cabin, with the result that Cook and the
Forsters were nearly poisoned, and were only cured by the most careful
attention of the surgeon. When the natives saw the fish the next morning
they immediately signified it was unfit to eat, but Cook says nothing of
the kind had been intimated when it was purchased.
NORFOLK ISLAND.
The natives were described as robust and well made, "and not in the least
addicted to pilfering, which is more than can be said of any other nation
in this sea." The only tame animals they had were large fowls with very
bright plumage. The country was said to consist of rocky hills, and the
trees identical with those seen in New South Wales. Leaving a sow and
boar behind, in hopes of their being allowed to breed, and marking a tree
with the name of the ship and the date, they left for the Isle of Pines,
where they arrived on the 19th. Here they were in very dangerous waters,
and Cook says the safety of the ship was owing to the splendid way in
which the watch was kept, and the brisk manner in which she was handled
by the crew. Forster noted "innumerable columnar forms of a considerable
height which we distinguished by the help of our glasses"; he put them
very proudly down as of basaltic formation, and afforded considerable
amusement to Cook when he was able to prove they were only trees of the
Pine family; in fact, some were afterwards cut down on Botany Island and
used for spars. They were unable to effect a landing on the Isle of Pines
owing to the rocky nature of the shore, but by some unknown means Mr.
Hodges painted a view of the interior of the island, published under that
title in Cook's Voyages. Norfolk Island was discovered on 10th October,
and a landing was effected, but no sign of inhabitants was seen, though a
welcome supply of fish, birds, and cabbage palm was obtained. The
vegetation bore a resemblance to that of New Zealand.
On 17th October Mount Egmont was sighted, and anchoring in Queen
Charlotte's Sound an immediate search was made for a bottle containing
letters which had been left for the Adventure. It was not to be found,
nor was there anything to show by whom it had been taken, but the next
day they saw where an observatory had been set up, and trees cut down
with axes, and so came to the conclusion their consort had been there.
The natives, who were at first very shy, but when they recognised Cook
"went jumping and skipping about like madmen," informed them that the
Adventure came in soon after they had left, and remained two or three
weeks. A story also was told that a ship had been lost on the north side
of the straits shortly before Cook arrived, and some of the people having
had their clothes stolen by the natives, fired on them, but when their
ammunition was exhausted were all killed. This story, evidently a
distorted account of what happened to some of the Adventure's crew, was
disbelieved by Cook, who thought there had been some misunderstanding.
Cook, from fresh observations, found that he had placed the South Island
on his chart some 40 minutes too far to the east, and had made the
distance between Queen Charlotte's Sound and Cape Pallisser 10 minutes
nearer to each other than they should have been. In this connection he
speaks in the highest terms of the desire of Mr. Wales to have everything
as accurate as possible.
On 11th November the Resolution left the Sound at daybreak to cross the
South Pacific between latitudes 54 and 55 degrees, and the course
convinced Cook there was no possibility of there being any large piece of
land in that portion of the ocean. He therefore stood for the western
entrance of Magellan's Straits, sighting Cape Descada on 17th December,
following the coast round to Christmas Sound, which they reached on the
20th, the country passed being described as "the most desolate and barren
I ever saw." At Christmas Sound they were more fortunate, for wood,
water, wild celery, and a large number of geese provided them with a
welcome banquet for Christmas Day. They were visited by some of the
natives, described as "a little, ugly, half-starved, beardless race; I
saw not a tall person amongst them." The scent of dirt and train oil they
carried with them was "enough to spoil the appetite of any European,"
consequently none were invited to join the festivities. They had European
knives, cloth, handkerchiefs, etc., showing they had been in
communication with white men; and Forster notes they had canoes which
could not have been made in the neighbourhood, for there was no timber of
sufficient size.
CAPE HORN CORRECTED.
Cape Horn was passed on 29th December, and Cook made his longitude 68
degrees 13 minutes West, a little too far to the westward; it should be
67 degrees 16 minutes West. This is absolutely correct, according to
Wharton. On 1st January 1775 they landed on a small island off Staten
Island, and then put in to a fine sheltered harbour on the main island,
which consequently was named New Year Harbour. The weather proved
unfavourable for surveying, but enough was ascertained to convince them
that the Tierra del Fuego and Staten Island coasts were not so dangerous
to navigation as they had been represented.
On 3rd January they left to look for Dalrymple's Gulf of Sebastian, which
Cook thought was non-existent, and on the 6th they reached the position
given on the chart, but could find no signs of any land. Bearing up to
the north, Georgia Island was seen on the 14th, and was found to be
entirely covered with snow, creating surprise as it was now the height of
summer. The ship ran in between Georgia and Willis Islands, and
possession was formally taken of the group, though Cook did not think
that "any one would ever be benefited by the discovery." Working as far
south as 60 degrees, he turned to the east, being "tired of these high
southern latitudes where nothing was to be found but ice and thick fogs,"
and a long hollow swell coming from the westward convinced him that he
was correct in his assumption that the Gulf of Sebastian and a large body
of land did not exist. On the 30th two large islands were seen, and then
three rocky islets to the north; the largest was named Freezeland Peak,
after the sailor who sighted it, S. Freesland; and behind these was an
elevated coast which received the name of Southern Thule, as being the
most southerly land then discovered. The position of the ship was given
as 59 degrees 13 minutes 30 seconds South, 27 degrees 45 minutes West.
During the early part of February they ran down east between 58 and 59
degrees South, frequently having to throw the ship up into the wind to
shake the snow out of her sails, for the weather was very bad. After
another unsuccessful attempt to find Cape Circumcision, the ship's head
was turned towards the Cape of Good Hope on 23rd February, and Cook had
the satisfaction of feeling he had solved the problem of the
non-existence of any southern continent except in close proximity to the
Pole. He firmly believed from his observations of the icefields that such
a continent in the far south did exist, but he asserted that further
exploration in that direction would be of little service to navigation,
and would be hardly worth the cost and danger that must be incurred.
On 16th March two Dutch ships were seen steering to the west, and a boat
was sent off to the nearest, which proved to be the Bownkirke Polder,
from Bengal. They were offered any supplies the Dutchman had,
notwithstanding the latter was rather short, owing to his being some time
out from port. Some English sailors on board told of the Adventure having
been at the Cape of Good Hope some twelve months previously, and that she
had reported the massacre of a boat's crew in New Zealand. At the same
time three more sail came up, one, an English ship, did not intend to
call at the Cape, so Cook forwarded by her a letter to the Admiralty and
received some provisions, and, most valuable gift, a packet of old
newspapers. On the 22nd the Resolution anchored in Table Bay, saluting
the Dutch flag with thirteen guns, and the next morning Cook waited on
the Governor, who did everything he could to assist him and render his
stay agreeable.
THREE ON THE SICK LIST.
Cook was greatly pleased to be able to report three men only on the sick
list, and the remainder were granted as much leave as the refitting of
the ship would permit. The rigging, of course, had suffered severely, and
had to be replaced at an exorbitant cost from the Government Stores; but
Cook calls attention to the state of the masts, which he considered,
after sailing some 20,000 leagues, bore testimony to the care and ability
of his officers and men, and also to the high qualities of his ship.
M. de Crozet put in on his way to Pondicherry, and was impressed with
Cook's courtesy and qualifications as an explorer. He was able to give
the first information of M. de Surville's voyage, and that he had cleared
away a mistake Cook had made in assuming that the New Caledonia reefs
extended to the Great Barrier Reef on the east of Australia. Forster says
that Cook pointedly avoided having any intercourse with any of the
Spaniards who were there, but gives no reason for it. He also bought a
quantity of wild animals and birds, many of which died before reaching
England, and he roundly but unjustly accused the crew of having killed
them.
Touching at St. Helena, where Kendal's watch was found to differ by about
two miles from the observations of Mason and Dixon at the Cape and those
of Maskelyne at St. Helena, he proceeded to Ascension, where he obtained
a good supply of fresh turtle, and then to Fernando de Noronho, fixing
the position as 3 degrees 50 minutes South, 32 degrees 34 minutes West,
and crossed the line on 11th June. Calling in at the Azores, land was
sighted near Plymouth on the 29th, and next day they anchored at
Spithead; and Cook, Wales, Hodges, and the two Forsters immediately
started for London, having been away from England three years and
eighteen days. During this time they had lost four men, three from
accident and one from disease--a record unprecedented in the annals of
British Naval history.
The war with the American colonies was naturally occupying the attention
of the public, but the newspapers found space to publish more or less
authentic information as to their arrival and proceedings on the voyage.
One paper gravely said that:
"Captain Cooke will be appointed Admiral of the Blue, and command a fleet
which is preparing to go out in the spring, as a reward for the
discoveries he has made in his last voyage in the South Seas."
On 9th August Cook was summoned to St. James's Palace and had a long
audience with the King, presenting several charts and maps and submitting
several drawings, some of which were ordered to be engraved for the
private museum. In return the King presented him with his commission as
Post-Captain and his appointment to H.M.S. Kent. The commission, signed
by Sandwich, Penton, and Pallisser, bears date 9th August. Furneaux was
made Captain. He sailed for America in October, and was present at the
attack on New Orleans in 1777; he died at the age of forty-six, some four
years later. Kempe, Cooper, and Clerke were promoted to Commanders; and
Isaac Smith, Lieutenant. Mr. Wales was appointed Mathematical Master at
Christ's Hospital, and Charles Lamb mentions him as having been a severe
man but:
"a perpetual fund of humour, a constant glee about him, heightened by an
inveterate provincialism of North Country dialect, absolutely took away
the sting from his severities."
Mr. Forster was received by the King at Kew, and was afterwards presented
to the Queen, to whom he gave some of the birds bought at the Cape. He
also attracted attention from another quarter, for Lloyd's Evening Post
reports that on 6th August, his house at Paddington "was broke open and
robbed of effects of considerable value." Again the Morning Post, 23rd
August, reports:
"Monday night, as Mr. John Reynold Forster was returning from Chelsea in
a post chaise, he was attacked by three highwaymen, near Bloody Bridge,
who robbed him of three guineas and a watch set with diamonds."
GREENWICH HOSPITAL.
Acting on advice from the Admiralty, Cook, on 12th August, applied for
the position of one of the Captains of Greenwich Hospital, vacant through
the death of Captain Clements, stipulating that if occasion arose in
which his services would be of use elsewhere, he might be permitted to
resign. This application was immediately granted, and his appointment is
dated on the same day as his application. The salary was 200 pounds per
year, with a residence and certain small allowances such as fire and
light, and one shilling and twopence per day table money. It is apparent
from his letters that though he may have taken over some of the duties
(but that is improbable, owing to his time being fully occupied preparing
his Journal for the press and then making arrangements for his final
voyage), he never entered upon residence but remained at Mile End. He,
however, found time to write two letters to Mr. Walker of Whitby, in the
first of which he speaks rather despondingly of being "confined within
the limits of Greenwich Hospital, which are far too small for an active
mind like mine"; and in the second he gives a rapid sketch of the voyage,
which, by its clear conciseness, proves the worthlessness of Mr.
Forster's sneer, repeated by later writers, that the public account of
the voyage owed more to the editing of Canon Douglas than to the writing
of Cook.
Soon after Cook's arrival in London, Furneaux handed him his Journal of
the proceedings of the Adventure from the time of their separation off
the coast of New Zealand. They were blown off the land near Table Cape in
the beginning of November 1773, again sighting it near Cape Pallisser,
only to be blown off again, their sails and rigging suffering severely.
They put into Tolago Bay for temporary repairs and water, and left again
on the 13th, but had to put back till the 16th, and even then the weather
was so bad that they did not reach Queen Charlotte's Sound till the 30th,
when the bottle left by Cook was at once found, telling they were six
days too late. They pushed on as rapidly as possible with the refit, and
then were further delayed by finding a large quantity of the bread
required rebaking, but they were ready to sail by 17th December. Mr. Rowe
was sent out with a boat to get a supply of vegetables, and the ship was
to have sailed the following day, but the boat did not return. Burney was
then sent off with a party of marines in search, and after a time
discovered the missing men had been all killed and some of them eaten by
the Maoris. Portions of the bodies were found and identified--Rowe's
hand, by an old scar, Thomas Hill's hand, had been tattooed in Otaheite;
Captain Furneaux's servant's hand; and midshipman Woodhouse's shoes were
found, and a portion of the boat. The natives who had these remains were
fired on, but Burney could take no further steps, for he estimated there
were fifteen hundred of the natives near the place. Furneaux believed
that the attack was unpremeditated as the Maoris had been quite friendly,
and both he and Cook had been at the place during their previous visit.
He concluded that some sudden quarrel had arisen and the boat's crew had
been incautious.
MASSACRE.
On his next voyage Cook obtained an account of the affair from the
natives, when they said that the crew was at dinner and some of the
Maoris attempted to steal some bread and fish, whilst one tried to get
something from the boat which had been left in charge of the Captain's
black servant. The thieves were given a thrashing, and a quarrel arose,
during which two muskets were discharged and two natives were shot. The
Maoris then closed in and killed all the sailors immediately. The
Yorkshire Gazette of 4th June 1887 states that it was reported that a
midshipman escaped the massacre, and after many wanderings reached
England in 1777. If this improbable story is true he must have been Mr.
Woodhouse, whose shoes were found, for he was the only midshipman in the
boat.
On 23rd December the Adventure sailed, but owing to contrary winds did
not get away from the coast for some days. She stood south-east till 56
degrees South was reached, and then the cold being extreme and the sea
high, her course was set for the Horn, reaching as high as 61 degrees
South with a favourable wind. Stores were running short, so after an
unsuccessful search for Cape Circumcision she sailed for Table Bay, and
having refitted, again left on 16th April for England, and dropped her
anchor at Spithead on 14th July 1774.
Mr. Forster states that this second voyage of Cook cost 25,000 pounds,
but does not give the source of his information.