Captain Cook’s Accuracy

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20378, 15 October 1940, Page 10

Captain Cook’s Accuracy

Sir,—ln the Herald of October 8, in reference to Captain Cook’s landing at Turanganui, it is stated that October 9 will in future be the official date of the landing. This may lead to the conclusion'that the dates recorded by Captain Cook after crossing the 180th meridian are errors in reckoning. If reference is made to the customs and rules of navigation prevailing 171 years ago, it will be noted that the change of circumstances during this long interval of time, and the immense increase of shipping on the oceans of the world, has necessitated the alteration, of navigation rules from time to time. Few ships at that period, 1769 had circumnavigated the world. Ship masters could choose any position on the voyage for correcting time. It was not until subsequent to Cap T

tain Cook's voyages, that the 180th meridian—anti-meridian to that of Greenwich —was fixed upon, by which all ships were required to regulate and adjust the time when crossing this meridian in either direction. Another change was made by substituting modern time in place of the old system- of recording ships’ time. Long before Captain Cook’s voyage and until long subsequent to that date, ship’s time was recorded from noon to noon. Thus January 1, 1769, commenced at noon on December 31, Three systems of time-keeping were used on the Endeavour, civil or ordinary .time, ship’s time, and astronomical time. Astronomical time was recorded by Mr, Green, astronomer from Greenwich observatory. The log-book of the Endeavour, written' by Captain Cook, was recorded in ship’s time. He corrected his time for the voyage near Batavia, Java, East Indies. Thus crossing the 180th meridian was not noted or held to be any different by Captain Cook from any othet meridian in regard to the time and date. Therefore his dates for the lime recorded on the voyage must be accepted as correct and free from error or miscalculation, and conforming with the navigation customs of that time. C. W. REEVES.