HOW COOK MET DEATH

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10737, 7 November 1928, Page 9

HOW COOK MET DEATH

HISTORIC LOG BOOK. A RECENT DISCOVER Y. ' MATE’S INTERESTING STORY. Just before the last mail left England the interesting discovery was made in. a second-hand bookshop of the' log of Henry Roberts,' a mate of, the Resolution, flic .shin' in which Cook made his last voyage. With a wealth of detail Roberts describes how Cook met his death, and how his hones were returned to the ship, arid committed to the deep. ■“THE-FATHER OF HIS- PEOPLE,” The entry recording the events of the day concludes with this glowing tribute to Cook r Such an’able navigator, equalled by few and excelled by none, justly styled the father of his people from Ins great care and attention, honored and beloved by "those who knew or ever heard of him.

The importance of Roberts docs not wholly consist in his being "an officer of the ship for he was also in charge of the pinnace which, on i fatal 14th of February, 1779- took CoOk ashore in order to scire the old chief, King Karropoo, as a hostage for the return of :tho Discovery’s cutter, which had been stolen during the . previous night. , J)r. Sam well, surgeon to the v expod It Ion; in vhis' account of Cook’s death incorporated in Kippis’ “Life” confirms Roberts’ position: , “He (Cook) loft the ship about seven o’clock, attended, by the lieutenant of marines, a sergeant, corpora I, and seven private men; the pinnace’s crew were also armed, .arid under the command of Mr. Roberts. IKcowa, the wing’s son, who was in the pinnace, being alarmed on hearing the first firing, was, at his own entreaty, put on shore again;, for even at the time/-Mr. Roberts, who commanded hcr.V did.f hot apprehend that - Captain Cook’gh-pcrson was in any danger; otherwise he would have detained the prince, which, no ddu'' would .have/been a great check on the Indians. He' . (Cook) waved his Sand to the boats, called to them to cease firing,, and .to come nearer in to receive the marines. Mr. Roberts immediately brought/ the pinnace as close to the shore as he could' without grounding,. notwithstanding tin? showers* of stones, that fell among fthe people.” - tA PEACE'o’eFERLNG. ■ J'T " '!■■■.% ';.'. V, v I Cook began his third and- last voyngo on .Tline .25 j 1776, and Roberts’ Log rovers’fhe.period from Octpber 4,i 1778; when the expedition p-ns off Alaska.. ' • ■ \ ■ ' ■ Especially rintorpsting are the retnatks written on tho days about February 14, 1779, i<n .* January 16.—A Both ships Were now. surrounded with canoes Ave'Could count upwards of six hundred ,'roii nd the Resolution each bringing their cargo to market, we purchased a vast' ■ number of . very lafgo liogs and quantities of salt and roots. ■ One of tliC stolen'‘the largo cutter's rudder " wefired,muskets at the canoe 'which; had it in v and sent/ the boats in pursuit* of: her, but to no effect; ni order to give the chiefs (many of these being on hoard) lif ,pr .'per sense of pin-dis-like ,t 6 those petty thefts and hkewise'.to:'convince: them of our power, we fired a four pounder /over the cantfes; when fityhey 'perceived the shot fall 'it. struck, them with. a. degree of terror ■khd" astpnislimpnt; hut being told beforehand'that it should not hurt ’em they > were presently pacified, but .several of-them paddled off with .the fright.” . "

THE CAPTAIN’S FALL.

, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14.

■■ •' ■: i ',*:, < ; ; „i ■ 1 “The .natives ;having stolen some- , thing from on board the Disco Very, n . canoe suspected' was pursued by one • of. tho boats, without' arms in her, . thhir and ' the thing i . stolen was 'brought them, afterwards our" "pinnace joined them, and by. some .'.means occasioned a sprite, which I ‘tose‘ to a .quarrel; when they , got themselves ill-used and beat by tho natives breaking the pinnace’s oars rind endeavouring to. stove the boat, but .no other- mischief. In the morning the . Discovery's large ci.ttiSi was missing front thq.buoy, where she was moored. Boats sent, from leach ship in search of her withorders to "keen everv canoe in., the''Bay from paddling off'till there * was ft likelihood of her . being ■ returned, as it was well known that the Natives • hat! taken her away. /■ “In order to make, it more secure Captain Cook went in the. pinnace, manned and armed with the launch, undef the command of the , third \ Lieut.-, in company, to the village on the N. point of the Bay, with an. intention to get the Chief Karu Oboo on board, for which purpose ho landed with the Officer of Marines, the sergeant, and 8 of his people. After a • little time they found the Chief, and ho would have willingly come off. hut was hindered‘ by his Wife and, those about him, who; offered' presents of Hogs, etc., but was rejected. Thcv afterwards 'wore very' troublesome, and began to be . ceedingly and at last cd tiie Captain to fire on them. This occasioned a great rumour among ' the Whole, who began' to arm themselves. Shortly* after the Captain ■tired, a Musket, which was seconded by the Marines on the boat. The Captain immediately gave orders to cease’ fire and come in with the boat. The pinnace milled in. The Natives,* on their part' had begun the attack, when the stones showered down witn great; violence, the whole bodv pres-sing*-in. on our people armed with spears, clubs,' daggers and dings, aind forced them into the water. “Tho Captain- fell in' the conflict, (, with four of the Marines. The Of- ■ ficer, ’< Sergeant, and others reached the boats with great difficulty, three of the' number being wounded. ■ The •boats.- after keeping, a warm fire for a while; returned on-board, not being able to get the bodv'of our lost Commander, whose dentil occasioned concern and sorrow in every countenance.- f Such an able Navigator, equalled by few and excelled bv none, justly- stiled the father of bis people from his great good care and at-, •' tcnNbn, *. honored and beloved by ' those" who knew or even.; heard of him '"'The bodies of tho. Marines, also ‘ could not bo taken, but exposed to /the mercy of the savages, who were truly desperate, find intrepid. ! COMMITTED TO THE DEEP. MONDAY . FEBRUARY, 15.;; - “The . boats from each ship wellmanned ’ and, armed went in shore with a white flag as .a Truce, to demand the bodies by fair means, but f' with no other success than the satisfaction', and a’.promise of their, being brought the next morning. .... • Luring the Night'' many large fires were burning, on the shore, and by the heln of the night Glass, could distinguish great numbers of, the. na--1 tives crowding round -them, others running along the shore with lights. Loud lamentations were heard at times arid ,'at - others prodifViUs sHbuts, the morning came without signs' of"the bodies bemw returned. An old priest named Co-ah-aty came off in a ' canoe-with white flags, desiring Mr. King to accompany him on shore; saying the bodies were Jrfought down but was refused.

.. TUEiyDAY FEBRUARY-. 16. - - “Two of them (friendly natives) this night at the risk of their lives, came on board the ship and brought 11s a part of the sad remains of our unfortunate Captain being a piece of hi.=flesh from off the thigh. This, no doubt, was meant), as a friendly action, and as such it was considered. Their apparent openess and sincerity gave us room to think otherwise. They informed us of the ill-designs of • their countrymen against ns, strictly cautioned us against placing in them any confidence or truth. It is impossible' to express the feelings that every Officer and Seaman suffered on " this occasion, a sight so horribly shocking. Distraction and madness was in every mind and revenge the result of all. We inquired after the remaining parts and were fold they were burnt.” SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20. “A .great many of the natives came down at the Watering place with white flags wishing peace when Captain Clerke and Mr. King went to tho shore with two boats, and returned with, a Chief, from Keru-Oboo bringing on board the. bones, tile only remains of Captain- Cook with a present of hogs, roots, etc. “Oh Monday, February 22nd, what remained of the bodv.was committed to the Deep, with all the decency in our power, and the. usual ceremony, fired, ten minute guns. Sent the fore-rigging up, got the Top mast and Top Gallant mast on end, set the rigging up and bent the after sails.” COOK’S EARLY LIFE.' THE NAUGHTY BOY WHO RAN AWAY. In the peaceful little village. Great Ay ton, North Yorkshire, with its quaint pavements and background of wine-dark hills, nearly 200 years ago a small boy went to school. He was rather a naughty little boy for although only eight years old ho always insisted on having his own way. When any project was on foot for bird-nesting o~r similar pursuits. he it was who made tho plans and ip his naughtiness he nearly always over-rode the suggestions of his playmates. .

He would not settle down to the decent life of a farm lad or a shop assistant. He had got it into bis head that ho wanted to go to .sra, and nothing would alter that. idea, go one day lie piit to-sea as an apprentice in.the*Whitby-built barque. To-day in Great Ay ton, villagers point out to their children a monument on a distant hill, like a needle on a nin-cilshion, and say that it 'is to - the memory of Captain James Cook, the great circumnavigator and explorer, who, regardless of; personal .danger, opened up. many portions of tho Southern Hemisphere, and who, two centuries ago, ran about, these village streets —a small hoy who liked his own way.

The people here think of him ns. the brave man who, in spite of. his greatness, could yet show the broad sympathy and understanding which made him in the face of. coming hardship issue the order to his crew “to stop-serving grog except on Saturday night, when they had full allowance to drink tp their female friends in England lost- among the pretty girls they shoidd be ...wholly, forgo tten.” ' ' " ' ‘