CAPTAIN COOK'S LANDING IN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11057, 8 May 1899, Page 5

CAPTAIN COOK'S LANDING IN AUSTRALIA.

AN INTERESTING CEREMONY. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. Sydney, May 7. Kuhnell, in Botany Bay, the first landing place of Captain Cook, was yesterday dedicated by a public ceremony, performed by the Governor in the presence of a brilliant gathering, One hundred and twentynine years ago Captain Cook unfurled the British flag at the spot, and 18 years later Governor Philip performed a similar ceremony. Yesterday, for a third time, Admiral Pearson unfurled tho flag, H.M.s, Goldfinch firing a salute. The above ceremony was to havo taken place on April 29, but had to be postponed on account of the unfavourable weather until May 6. Referring to this interesting cereirony, tho Sydney Morning Herald of April 29 says: —Tho postponement of the celebration of tho anniversary of Captain Cook's landing at Botany Bay was natural enough in the circumstances. Cook himself in that memorable April of 1770 was unable to effect a landing near Bulli on the 27th " by reason of the great surf which beat everywhere upon the shjoro." Upon the following morning at daylight Botany Bay, " which appeared to be tolerably well sheltered from all winds," was discovered, and into this the famous barque Endeavour was sent. Some confusion has been caused by the way in which days aro counted in the "Journal"—a confusion added to by the fact that this was kept in triplicate, and that alterations were made in one edition which were not made in others. The day is supposed to begin and end at noon, which explains how the account of what happens p.m. comes before what happens a.m. on a given day. Thus hasty readers of the " Journal" for Sunday, April 29, 1770, would unless thoy remembered this, fall into the mistake of supposing tliat the landing actually took place on that day. It took place on the afternoon of Saturday, April 28,129 years ago, as on yoslerday. Hero is the account from Cook's "Journal";—

"In tho p.m. (i.e., of April 28) wind southerly and olear weather, with which wo stood into tho bay and anchored under the south, shoro, about two miles within tho entrance, in five fathoms, the southerly pom' bearing S.E., and the N. point E. Saw, as wo came in, on both points of the bay, several of the natives and a few huts ; men, women, and children on tho 8. shore abreast of tho ship, to which place I went in the boots, iii hopes of speaking with them, accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Solandcr, and Tupia. As wo approached the shore they all mado off, except two men, who seemed resolved to oppose our landing. As soon as T. saw this, I ordered tho boats to lay upon their oars, in order to speak to them; but this was to little purpose, for neither we nor Tupia could understand 0110 word they said. We then threw them some nails, beads, etc., ashore, which they took up and seemed not ill-pleased with, in so much that I thought that they beckoned to us to come ashore; but in this we were mistaken, for as soon as we put the boat in they again came to oppose us, upon which I fired a musket between the two, which had no other effect than i to make them retire back, where bundles of their darts lay, and one of them look up a, stone and threw at us, which caused my firing a second musket, loaded with small shot, and although some of tho shot struck the man, yet it had no other effect than making him lay hold on a target. Immediately after this we landed." There can bo no climb! whatever hut tliut the placo now known as Kurncll is the place where Captain Cook landed on April 28,1770. Ho was not then Captain Cool:— he was simply "Lioulenant James Cool:, commander of His Britannic Majesty's barque Endeavour' 1 —and proud enough was the ex-collier's boy to have charge of such a vessel, which, with it» 370 tons, was more like a collier than a king's ship. The origin of the name '' Kurnoll" is lost. Cook was particular about the names he gave to places, and his editors have come to tho rescue when he has himself failed to give information about the godfathers or godmothers in whose honour 1.-c christened points or bays or capes or so forth. Wo have an instance in this very bay, " which appeared to be tolerably well sheltered from all winds." It was at first called Stingray Bay, on account of tho quantity of that kind of fish, and by this name the plan of it at the Admiralty is marked. Then Mr. (afterwards Sir Joseph) Banks and Dr. Solandcr discovered a great quantity of plants, which, writes Cook, " occasioned my giving it the me of Botany Bay." The visitor to Kumcll may revive other memories than'those of the great and fortunate English circumnavigator. For likewise on the shore of Botany are tho tomb under which rests all that is mortal of Fere le Rccevcur, the naturalist of the Astrolabe, and tho column erected in honour of the great French navigator, La Perdue, ho who told Governor Philip that " Cook had left him nothing but to admire." Surely it is well that a spot round which historic memories gather should bo jealously kept sacred. If Barron Field was right in calling Australia "a land without antiquities," he was right also in making an exception in favour of that Ono poor spot of classic groundThat on which Oook first landed.