SEALED ORDERS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 80, 2 October 1933, Page 7

SEALED ORDERS

COOK'S VOYAGE OF VENUS

SEEKING THE UNKNOWN

What was the real purpose, apart from the observation of the transit of j Venus, of Cook's tour of 1768-1771, in. I the course of which he ran along the east coast of Australia, asks Thomas Darnbabin in the Sydney "Daily Telegraph," Tho answer is to be found in tha sealed packet containing secret instructions sent to Cook by the Admiralty; on July 30, 1768. A copy of these secret instructions, which caino to light only in 1928, is now in the Mitchell Library. It has been consulted by courtesy of the Principal Librarian (Mr. W. H. Ifoukl) and the Mitchell Librarian (Miss Lecson). There is no mention of Australia or of New Holland in it. Cook was told to look for the supposed southern continent to tho east of New Zealand, and, if ho failed-to find it, to examine New, Zealand. The instructions begin:-—. "Whereas there is reason,to belicv* that a continent, or a land of great extent, may be found to the southward of the track lately made by Captain Wallis in H.M.S. Dolphin (of which you will receive a copy), and the trackVof any, former navigators, in pursuits of tha ' like kind, you are'therefore, in pursuance of his. Majesty's ple»surc,fnereby, required and directed to put to sea with. the barque you command, as soon as the observation of the transit of Venun shall be finished, and to observe tha following instructions." - TO OO SOUTH. Cook was instructed to go southward in search of the continent.. If he failed to find it he was to go to 40 degrees south, and then run westward between 35 and 40 degrees until he cither dis-1 covered it or fell in with the eastern side of the land discovered by Tasman, - and later called New Zealand. Cook was to observe the naturo ©5 the soil, the beasts,, birds* and fishes* mines and minerals, and .valuable stones. Ho was.to bring back specimens of all. these, and-to collect seeds, grains, and fruits. ' . -■ He had also to study "the genius, temper, dispositions, and number" ot the natives of this imaginary continent,' and to "invite them, to traffick." If Cook failed to discover-the continent, he was "to fall in with Nc\* Zealand," and to examine the.countryj carefully. He was tS reserve enough, provisions to enable him to reach somai known port, where he could procure a, sufficiency of supplies to carry him to England, by w,ay either of, the Crip»: of Good Hope or of Cape Horn.: When the expedition was sent but th» . Spaniards and others scoflEed at thei idea,' that it was being sent round the world to sco the transit of Venus. The secret instructions show that it was really * voyage of discovery p.ad of annexation* Its main purpose was to seek for that , great southern continent which _ Dal" rymple and others supposed to exist in the temperate zone between New Zea* land and South America, the lands re- ; ported to have been seen by Juan Fer».; nandez and other Spanish voyagers. , It is interesting to notice that th« , Lords of the Admiralty seem to have j been confident that N.e'w Zealand was j not part of the southern continent. Voyages round Cape Horn had disproved Tasman's theory that his newfound land might be connected with th«. Staten Land off Ticrra del Fuego. They showed that Staten Land was a small island. Yet, as far as we know, there was nothing to prove that the west • coast of the South Island of New Zealand was not joined to a continent. Of Australia the Admiralty says nothing. It does not even suggest that; | after leaving New Zealand Cook might Visit it. . It may be that before the Lords ot, the Admiralty drew up these secret instructions they had seen the map,of Jean de Kotz, dating back to 1542. It is of this map, later given to the, British' Museum by Sir Josepl} Banks, that Dr. Williamson remarks in the "Cambridge Modern History of Australia",:" •'lts eastern ana western coasts bear , a greater resemblance to the true out* j line than do the coasts of the Americas in La Cosa's Spanish map of 1500>;. which embodied the results of numerous ' voyages of discovery." ■ ■ If that is so, the silence of the in* | structions about Australia is easily; ■ understood. , ■ . ■ The mystery of the choice of Botan.yj Bay as the place for the first British settlement in Australia remains.