CAPTAIN COOK

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1639, 9 May 1925, Page 7

CAPTAIN COOK

'Recently the authorities in charge of Australian official libraries have shown a commendable desire to secure documents and trophies associated with the discoveries of Captain Cook. Even the rabid Socialist who protests against the deeds of naval captains and military generals finding a place in the children’s school books can find nothing to object to in the story of this poor English hoy’s services to his country. Clive won for the Empire India, and Wolfe Canada, but greater than either of these men of genius was James Cook, the son of an agricultural labourer, who proved that even in the eighteenth century the fo-castle of a British ship could produce Britain’s greatest navigator. Beyond the fact that Cook landed\in Botany Bay and hoisted the Union Jack and subsequently was killed by natives on the island of Hawaii, how much does the average Australian or New Zealander know of the wonderful career of this founder of his country? It is an object lesson to the whole of mankind.

Cook was typical of the hardy pioneers who blazed the. tracks and made New Zealand the marvellous country it is to-day. A Yorks'hireman by birth, he had just sufficient schooling to learn the rudiments of the three “R’s.” His earliest days were occupied with farm life, and he then was apprenticed to a haberdasher. But his liking for the sea got liim into the coal trade at Whitby. (He became mate of a coal boat in 1775, but shortly afterwards volunteered for the naval service, and in quick time passed from A.B. in the forecastle tc officer on the quarter deck. In the siege and capture of Quebec, Cook, as master of the Mercury, rendered service of the highest importance, for he piloted the boats to the attack on Montmorency, conducted the embarkation of the Heights of Abraham, and laid buoys for the security and guidance of the large ships of war in proceeding up t'he river. He was next employed in making a chart of the St. Lawrence River, from Quebec to the sea. Thus in t,he space of thirteen years the collier’s apprentice of eighteen years of age had won for himself the honorable and responsible position of master in the royal navy, and had obtained by close study in his leisure moments those acquirements in art and science which now made him a navigator and astronomer of considerable note.

The agiicultural labourer’s son, who had no social advantages of any kind to help him in his career, had noW surmounted all the difficulties that might have stood in the way of his advancement. After further service in North American waters as a hydrograp'her, Cook was selected for his allimportant mission in the southern seas. On account of his astronomical knowledge, Cook was selected to command an expedition to observe the transit of Venus in 1768. At first it was objected that Cook was “merely a master” in the King’s navy. But this was overcome by Cook receiving his commission as lieutenant, and he was placed in charge of the soon-to-become-famoas Endeavour, a barque of 370 tons, originally built for the coal trade, but preferred by Cook for the long voyage on account of its seaworthiness. Besides his crew of 85 officers and men, Cook was accompanied by two scientists. Mr (afterwards Sir James) Banks and Dr. Solander, ■Swede. At Tahiti the transit of Venus over the face of t'he sun was witnessed in a most satisfactory manner, and New Zealand, which had not been touched at by Europeans for 125 years, was visited. After exploring the coast for six months, Cook sailed westward and reached New England (now Australia) which he called New South Wales on 19th April, 1770. At Botany Bay, so called from the number of plants which Mr Banks and Dr. Solander collected there, Cook hoisted the Union Jack, and took possession of the country in the name of Great Britain. From Botany Bay Cook cruised northwards, and there met with the first untoward event of the voyage. The ship struck a coral reef, and with difficulty was saved from total destruction. At Cape York the Endeavour again narrowly escaped being wrecked. Having discovered that Australia was separated from New Guinea by Torres Straits, Cook made for Java, and then for England, where he arrived on 12th July, 1771.

"What were the results of Cook’s first voyage round the world? They were greater than the most sanguine promoter of the enterprise had anticipated. In the first place the scientific objects of the voyage had been very completely carried out, and much valuable information had been obtained bearing directly on astronomv, geography and natural history. But even these acquisitions were eclipsed by the fact that through Cook’s researches the foundations of England’s Empire in the waters of the Pacific had been laid, the capabilities of New Holland for colonising purposes had been ascertained, and nearly 2000 miles of its difficult coast had been examined and roughly surveyed. Moreover, the sovereignty of Great Britain over this large and important territory had been

declared, and possession had been taken of it in due form on behalf of the British Crown. In addition, New Zealand, Which hitherto had been shown by circumnavigation to be a couple of large islands, and as valuable as New Holland for the settlement of British emigrants. For his achievements Cook was promoted to the rank of commander.

'The successful results of Cook’s first voyage encouraged the British Government to persevere in the path of discovery, and before this enterprising navigator had been home a year arrangements had been completed for a second voyage, and the expedition was ready to proceed on its way.. On ■Cook’s advice two vessels engaged in the coal' trade were selected for the purpose. The principal requisites for such ships were stouuiess of construction, roominess and moderate draught, so that they might he laid ashore and readily repaired. The Resolution, 462 tons, and the Adverture, 336 tons, were purchased from a Hull ship owner. Almost for the first time in the history of an expedition of the kind it was considered necessary to adopt precautions to prevent disease among the crew. A quantity of salted cabbage, sourkrout, and other antiscorbutic stores were placed on board each ship, and sundry articles, such as inspissated juice of wort and marmalade. of carrots, were added by way of experiment. These desirible measures, supplemented by the care and vigilance of Cook himself, who exercised a rigid supervisim in all matters affecting the health of his sailors, were rewarded with such complete success as to establish the fact that scurvy was not a necessary concomitant of long voyages. During the Whole voyage he lost only one man through sickness, land so skilful was his seamanship that not a spar was lost. ■On the way round the Gape to New Zealand the vessels parted company, and Lieutenant Furneaux, on the Adventure, touched Van Dieman’s Land, where evidence was found that the natives had cannibalistic tendencies. Most of the expedition’s time was spent in the Pacific Islands and in the vicinity of New Zealand. Cook arrived in England again on 30th July, 1770. He wrote an account of this second voyage himself. The results of this voyage were not distinguished, as were the first, by the addition of new countries of vast area, yet it was marked by the dispersion of all doubt as to the existence of a Southern or Antarctic continent which could be utilised for the general benefit of mankind, and the gathering of an immense amount of valuable information respecting persons and places and things of whom and of which nothing had hitherto been known For his meritorious services Cook was raised to the rank of post-cap!ain. He was appointed one of the captains of Greenwich Hospital, and was admitted a fellow of the. Roval Society, being awarded the Copley medal for a paper he prepared giving an account of the methods he had adopted on the Resolution for the .preservation of the health of his crew.

'ln his old ship, the Resolution, accompanied by Captain Clarke in the Discovery, Cook set out from Plymouth on 12th July, 1776, on his last voyage. Many valuable additions were made to our geographical knowledge of the coasts of America and Asia in the region of Behring’s Straits before Cook met with his tragic death at the hands of natives on the island of Tahiti on 14th February, 1778. Cook had gone ashore with a party that had been attacked. Pie was struck on the head with a club and stunned. He staggered on a few paces and fell in the water. As he was endeavouring to rise another native stabbed him in the back of the neck wif i a dagger. Finally he was killed by the blow of a club. His body was carried off and hacked to pieces by the islanders. ■Captain Clarke made no immediate attempt to recover the mutilated body of his chief. He was bewildered by the suddenness of the attack. Later he opened up negotiations with the chiefs and portions of the body were handed over and committed to the deep in Karakakooa Bay. Other portions were retained by the islanders owing to their superstitious feelings. It is these portions, which it is believed were subsequently buried, that the Prime Minister has been asked to secure the permission of the United States Government to have brought to Australia by the American fleet for burial at Botany Bay or at Canberra. Thus perished Captain James Coos, one of th'e most resolute, careful and painstaking explorers the world has ever known. His old friend, Sir Hugh Palliser, declared he was “the ablest and most renowned navigator this or any century has produced.” By the King his widow and children were granted pensions, and by the Royal Society a medal was struck in his commemorai.ion. —Age, Melbourne.