HOW COOK DIED

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6451, 24 February 1908, Page 8

HOW COOK DIED

(To the Editor "N.Z. Times. 1 ') Sir,—lt may be of some interest to know that the account of Cook's death by John Lowe is almost wholly corroborated by Lcdyard’s “-Lifo and Travels," This man was a corporal of marines attached to Cook's ship during the third voyage, and his diary with a,ll accounts by otiioers and seamen was seized by the .British Government upon arrival in England. This step was avowedly taken to prevent indiscriminate pitcures of the eventful incidents getting abroad. Savant Tregoar prefers to 'believe the generally accepted version of this unfortunate affair —written by Captains Hirg and -Burney, both of whom did not land iu this affray, and could not portray as accurately as those who were present. According to Ledyand, Cook was unaware of his lessening in popularity with the natives, and this was not improved by his attempts to purchase the dry timber fence for wooding his ship which encloaod the Morai—the depository of the dead. Ho offered two and three hatchets for this, and the natives naturally being unwilling, he forced the gift on them, and arbitrarily uprooted the fence’, the images apparently receiving scant ceremony. The climax of the trouble was reached by the natives purloining a cutter and refusing to it up. Cook determined to boldly seize their chief as hostage, and on proceeding to enforce this the natives divined his intention and frustrated it. Cook naturally chagrined, and on having pointed out to him a native who had endeavoured to strike him, fired a blank shot—tile fellow feeling himself unhurt boasted to his companions of his invulnerability, and the impotency of Cook. Cook, therefore, seeing danger in this, shot him through the groin. Almost immediately after ho was hit by a stone, and seeing the native who threw it, shot him dead. Then the attack was general, followed by his death. This is according to Ledyard, who personally appears to have had a high regard for his commander, but was also of opinion that his proceedings wi+h the natives were often rash and unjustifiable, and his punishment of petty offences extremely severe. —I am, eta, H.F.