BOTANY BAY.
Reading edition
LOG REFERENCES.
The Cook's Museum Autograph Log, 27,885, has this version of the visit to the Bay:—
"Sunday, April 29, 1770.—Gentle breezes and settled weather. At 3 p.m. anchored in 7 fathom water in a place which I call'd Sting-Ray Harbour, the South point bore S.E., and the North point East distant from the south shore 1 mile. We saw several of the natives on both sides of the Harbour as we came in, and a few hutts, women, and children on the north shore opposite to the place where we anchor'd, and where I soon after landed with a party of men, accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and Tupia—as we approached the shore the natives all made off except two men, who at first seem'd resolved to oppose our landing. We endeavour'd to gain their consent to land by throwing them some nails, beeds, &c., ashore, but this had not the desired effect, for as we put into the shore one of them threw a large stone at us, and as soon as we landed they threw 2 darts at us, but the firing of two or three musquets loaded with small shott they took to the woods, and we saw them no more. We found here a few poor Hutts, made of the Bark of trees, in one of which were hid 4 or 5 Children, with whom we left some strings of Beeds, &c. After searching for fresh water without success except a little in a small hole—dug in the sand—we embarqued and went over to the north point of the Bay, where in coming in we saw several of the natives—but when we now landed we saw nobody, but we here found some fresh water, which came trinkling down and stood in Pools among the rocks, but as this was troublesome to get at I sent a party of men ashore in the morning abreast of the Ship to dig holes in the Sand, by which means we found fresh water, sufficient to water the Ship. After breakfast I sent some empty casks ashore to fill, and a party of men to cut Wood, and went myself in the Pinnace to sound and explore the Bay, in the doing of which I saw several of the natives, who all fled at my approach."
In reference to the name of Botany Bay, Cook's Autograph Log, numbered 27,885, Additional Manuscripts, British Museum, must have the first place. There we read:—
"Remarks on May the 6th, 1770." "Pleasent weather. People empd wooding," &c.
Afterwards came the Bay news, thus:—
"The Yawl return'd from fishing, having caught two Sting rays, whose weight was near 600 lbs. The great quantity of these sort of fish found in the place occasioned my giving it the name of Sting-Ray Harbour. Light airs and fair weather."
The Endeavour or Banks's Log, 8,959 of Museum, under date May 6, simply remarks: "Caught two Skeat whose weight was near 600 lbs."; but the ship left without naming the Stingray or Skeat Bay in this log.
The Palliser Log, a direct present from Captain Cook to his old patron, Sir Hugh Palliser, and ever since preserved in the family, though not positively in Cook's handwriting, is signed by him, and must be ever considered of the highest authority. It knows nothing of Botany Bay.
Extracts from the Palliser Log.
Remarks, &c., in Stingray Harbour:—
"Gentle breezes and settled wear. At 3 p.m. Anchor'd in 7 fa. water in a place which I called Sting-Ray Harbour, the So. point Bore S.E., and the No. pt. East Dist. from the S. Shore 1 Mile. We saw Severell of the Natives on both sides of the Harbour as we came in, and a few Hutts, women, and children, on the North Shore opposite the place were we anchor'd, and where I soon after Landed with a party of men, Accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Sollander, and Tupia. As we approached the Shore the Natives all made off, except two men who at first seemed resolved to oppose our landing. We endeavour'd to gain there Consent to land by throwing them some Nails, Beeds &c. ashore, but this had not the desir'd effect but as we put in to the shore, one of them threw a Large stone at us and as soon as we landed they threw 2 darts at us but the Fireing of 2 or 3 musquets loaded with small shott they took to the woods and we saw them no more. We found here a few Old hutts made of the Bark of Trees in one of which were hid 4 or 5 children with whom we left some strings of beeds &ca. After searching for fresh water, without Success Except a little in a small hole dug in the Sand we embarqued."
Remarks on Monday, 6 May, 1770:—
"The Yawl returnd from fishing having Caught 2 Stingrays the weight of which was near 600 lb. The great quantity of these sort of fish found here. Occasioned my giving it the Name of Stingray Harbour."
THE LIEUTENANT'S LOG AND STING REA BAY
The most reliable opinion as to matters connected with a voyage may be expected from the first mate or chief officer of a vessel. Lieutenant Zackary Hickes, whose log of the ship Endeavour was recovered a few years ago, gives his "Remarks on board his Majesty's Barque Endeavour New Holland, 1770." Therein we read for successive days:
"Moor'd in Sting Rea Bay."
While there, on Sunday, April 29, he wrote:
"Hoisted ye boats out, and ye Capnn &c. attempting to land was opposed by a few of ye Natives who dispersed on being wounded with small shot. In ye evening returned having found a watering place."
Zackary Hickes notes their leaving Sting Rea Bay, May 8th. Under latitude 34° 6″ he writes:
"Moored in Sting Rea Bay the mouth of the Bay from E. to N.E. ½ E. distant from the shore ¾ mile."
On May 17 his progress was "Sting ree bay 2° 00 Et." The Chief Officer knew nothing of Botany Bay.
Richd Pickersgill is the signature to what is called "A Logg of ye Proceedings, &c." He was master's mate for the ship. After stating on April 28:—
"Moor'd in Sting ray Bay," it adds: "April 29. At 3 the Capn &c went ashore and were opposed on landing by 2 of the Nats whom they were obliged to sting with small shot which frighted them into ye woods."
On May 4 he notes "striking Stingerrays."
"May 5, 1770—Stingerray Bay lies in Latd 34·06 S & Longd Wt of Longd on 20·43. It is form'd by two Low Pts between which their is a passage of one mile with 12 fms water on the Et side lies a Little Island and off ye So end of it is a Shore where the Sea some times Breaks after you are in the Bay spreads and tends to ye wt ward for about 6 or 7 Miles and then ends in two large Lagoons off the So shores lies large flats with only 6 & 7 feet water upon them is a great Quantity of Stingerrays the Bay is very Shole but there is a Channel which lies open to ye entrance with 5 and 6 fm water, but after you are two miles within it sholes to 3 the Bay is about 4 Miles Broad and has a regular tide. The Country is very rich and fertile and has a fine appearce we saw a large tree which grows allone and yealds a Gum like Dragons Blood this we found in great Quantitys sticking to ye Bark the Tree on which it grows is very large & spreads, but does not grow Stright nor tall besides we saw a wood which has a grain like oak and would be very durable if used for Building the leaves are like a Pine leaf the Soil is a light sandy black earth mix'd but is very shallow upon digging we found vast Quantitys of Oyster Shells which seem'd to have been underground a great while We also found a Tree which bore a red berry about ye size of a Cherry, but they grew only in one Place—the inhabitants are so shy that we had no kind of Intercous with them they us'd to come down every evening arm'd with Lances and wooden Swords they appeard very thin and had their faces Daub'd over with some thing white one day as the Surgeon was walking in the woods which is all clear of under wood he had a Lance hove at him out of a tree but the man made of this was all we saw of them except when they were fishing off in their canoes which are very small & made of Bark they carry one man who paddles with two small pieces of wood they use them in striking fish on ye flats their Houses are several Pieces of Bark sett up against an other & open at each end and are the worst I ever saw the people have nothing to cover themselves but go quite naked men & women, and are the most wretched sett I ever beheld or heard of."
Green's Log is by the astronomer of the expedition. He heads his page "Coasting New Holland northward." Though he puts April 28 for 29, his Botany Bay visit is thus recorded:—
"Hoisted out the boats at 3 the Captn &c. with Marines and boat's crew arm'd attempted landing but were opposed on the rocks of Sandy beach by 2 Indians with 4 prong'd wooden fish gigs tipt at the ends with 4 fish bones and fastened to ye wood with a gummy resinous substance; one of them under cover of a shield approach'd the boats and threw his Gig and in return was wounded with small shot. They now fled & with them a woman and 6 or 7 boys.
"On the beach they found 3 or 4 canoes made of the bark of a tree gather'd up at either end and stuck open with a few sticks for thwarts—the houses too (about 5) were no more than angular Kennels made by binding a piece of bark in the middle and resting either end on the ground encreasing the No of the pieces of bark according to ye length desired."
An unnamed log has the same account of the Bay.
The Log signed Cha Clerke is, like others of the early Cook age, wholly innocent of a reference to Botany Bay.
This is its treatment of April 29th:—
"Moored in Sting Rea bay. Little wind and fair. ½ past 1 came too with ye B.B. in 6½ fa sandy ground hoisted ye boats out. The Cap &c. attempting to Land was opposed by a few natives who dispersed on being wounded by small shot, in ye evening they returned having found a watering place."
On Saturday, May 5, we read:—
"Moored in Sting Rea Bay."
The Wilkinson's Log ranges from June 22, 1768, to August 3, 1770. Under April 29 we have this report:—
"Little wind and fair W ½ past 1 came too with the Bower in 6½ fm water, sandy ground. Hoisted out the Boats at 3 P.M. the Capt and Mr. Banks and Dr. Sollander went on Shore and was Opposed by the Natives at their landing on account the Captain was obledg to Sting one with Small Shot. After they all retired to the woods in the Evening the Capt having found a watering place" &c.
On May 5 is recorded:—
"Moored in Stingray Bay, New Holland."
In "A Logg of the Proceedings of His Majesty's barque Endeavour," commencing May 27, 1768, to September 26, 1770, Stepn Forwood, gunner, writes:—
"Remarks on Sting Ray Bay New Holland. Little wind and fair weather ½ past 1 came too with Bn Br in 6½ fathm water Sandy ground. Hoisted out the Boats and the Capt and Gentlemen went on Shore but were Opposed in landing by two Indians standing on the Shore with their Spears in their Hands Ready to heave at the Boat. Notwithstanding the Capt tried all Means to Perswaid them to Lay their wapons down by Heaving them on shore Presents but all to no purpose. At last finding Nothing would do the Capt fired a Load of small Shott at them which so frightend them that they Run into the woods After finding a watering Place the boats returned."
An unsigned Log of the Endeavour was kept from August 26, 1768, to September 28, 1770. Its account of the Bay entered April 29 was:—
"Little wind & fair wear ½ past 1 came too with the Bt Bower in 6½ fam Sandy Ground. Hoisting the Boats out at 3 the Captain and Mr. Banks & Dr. Sollander went on shore. They were opposed in attempting to land by some of the Natives whom they were obliged to sting with some shotts which frightened them in to the woods—in the Evening the Captn Returnd having found a watering Place."
The Log in the possession of the Admiralty, differing only in the inferiority of writing from that called the Queen's Log, is similar to others and later so-called Cook's copies.
Neither of them cites the first named Stingray or Sting Rea Bay. But the Admiralty Log records two sorts of trees there, one hard, heavy and black like Lignum Vitæ, and the other "tall and straight something like Pines."
Then follows:
"The great quantity of new plants &c. Mr. Banks & Dr. Solander collected in this place occasioned my giving it the name Botany Bay it is situated in the Latde 34°. 11 S. Long 208°."
The Admiralty Log notes what none of the old Cook's Logs knew.
"Abreast of a Bay or Harbour wherein there appeared to be safe anchorage which I called Port Jackson it lies 3 Legs to the northwd of Botany Bay."
Other Logs only notice it as an inlet, but add no name.
CORNER'S LOG.
Around this production the battle has raged awhile. As it was exposed for sale more than once, failing to attract attention, and had evidently been manipulated, suspicion was naturally excited, and one well known official expert assured me it was practically worthless. A bad impression was made by the assertion of Mr. Corner that the Log was in Cook's handwriting. As the Record Office, as well as the British Museum, could show a number of Cook's own letters, official and private, experts could not be deceived.
It may, nevertheless, have proceeded from the same source as some others of a later date, as that one in Royal Possession, and the one in the keeping of the Admiralty. In fact, the latter is very similar in its text to Corner's Log, always excepting the reference to Botany Bay instead of Cook's own appellation of Stingray Harbour, and the insertion of the name of New South Wales, or New Wales, instead of the total absence of those words in ALL the Logs of Cook and his officers.
It was evident to me, as to others, that several copies, more or less similar, had been sent to England after the last day's record in any Log upon leaving New Holland, the name of which is alone the heading of any page of a Log.
I have not seen the so-called Queen's Log, but any one who examined Corner's Log, as many did, would see that it came here originally with blank spaces for certain days, and others were vacant to receive the proper names of places, which had, it is to be presumed, to be added in this country!!
It is, however, not a little puzzling to find that Cook, who is reported to have sent these copies from Batavia, while staying there, should have allowed a copy for the Admiralty to go off with New South Wales as the name of the new territory, and send another (Corner's) bearing the denomination of New Wales. Still more extraordinary that Cook's own well ascertained Logs, two in the British Museum and one at Sunderland—the only ones extant—should have neither New South Wales, New Wales, nor Botany Bay mentioned.
The knowledge of such circumstances might well have caused experts to entertain doubts.
I had this hawked-about Log in my possession, and took tracings of portions, satisfying a well-known historian, and valued public officer at the Record Office, that the Log before us had been tampered with.
Although one of the empty spaces had, as in other cases, been filled up, in a handwriting different from that in the text, as Port Jackson, which never appears in the Logs of Cook and his officers, it was easy to suppose it referred to a Secretary to the Admiralty, Sir George Jackson, afterwards recognised as Sir George Duckett, the great friend to Bishop Stortford.
Erasures and re-writing are not confined to Botany Bay. Rockingham Bay has evidently had two earlier changes. Halifax Bay has similarly suffered. If adopted, as some fancy, as the Log used by Dr. Hawkesworth, considerable freedom was used.
The signatures to all Cook's genuine logs and copies is Jams Cook, with a grand flourish; but Corner's has James Cook only.
CORNER AND BOTANY BAY.
Corner's Log, having been re-written, corrected in spelling, &c., and afterwards printed and circulated as a veritable Cook's Log, what it had to say about Botany Bay may reasonably excite the deepest interest and attention.
In various Logs, elsewhere described, the Bay has been called Sting Rea or Ray Harbour, and the reason stated in Cook's own words, and those of his chief officer, was on account of the numbers of the fish Stingray, Skeats, or Skate.
Corner's, May 6th, says, on the contrary:
"The great quantity of plants Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander found in this place occasioned my giving it the name of Botany Bay."
On May 30th we read of:
"The same sort of Water Fowl as we saw in Botany Bay."
We cannot avoid expressing surprise at finding that the gentleman whose duty it was to fill up the vacant spaces, purposely left open for the insertion of names of places, was not always correct in orthography. He may have intended always to write Botany, but varied it in Bottany, Bottony, Bottonest, Botony, Botanist.
He is not sure even when describing "which I called Port Jackson" as he is led to write, "it lies 3 Leags to the Northwd of Botóny Bay."
When, however, we come carefully to examine the full original paragraph about Botany Bay, we seem to understand the mode of action. The alteration was not made by the first copyist of the Log, nor by one particular person afterwards. There may have been some doubt even then about the settlement, or else why the erasure of one way of spelling, the substitution of another, and even traces of further erasure before final arrangement of name.
It was this that excited my suspicions. I was very candid in statement to some officials at the Admiralty of my honest belief that there had been some foul play in London. Later on, when I had again, with others, looked at the real journals in the British Museum, regarded, and copied, the Logs found at the Deptford Victualling Yard, and especially had made personal inspection for three days at Sunderland of a Log given by Cook himself to his old Admiral, Sir Hugh Palliser, my doubts of this Log were confirmed.
Let us now refer to the original Corner's Log, transported by purchase from Mr. Corner, to New South Wales, where, if not further affected, it will be seen as I state.
If the reader mentally divide the Botany Bay story, under May 6, he will discover first the usual Log transcriber. In the space which he left, by somebody's order, he would perceive quite a different hand ("plants Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander"). Then returns the first hand, "found in this place occasioned my giving it the name of" ——. Another space is filled with a half erased second-hand "Botóny" followed by the word in original "bay."
In a tracing I took some years ago, under head of May 6, I read: "appeared to be safe anchorage which I called" (in original hand); but in the space adjoining, in the second hand I read: "Port Jackson." Then, as usual, the first resumed: "it lies 3 Leags to the Northwd of." After a space, or, rather, within the space, is a bungling "Bottony" Bay.
Under May 13 we read: "we found (in the space) Bottonist Harbour." Eight lines lower, though in distinctly altered form, we read: "saw at Botany Harbour."
How different all this from the unaltered, unspaced account by the Captain's copy, given by himself to Sir Hugh Palliser, in which it only says: "The great Quantity of these sort of fish found here occasion'd my giving it the name of Stingray Harbour"!
So it is hardly correct to say, "It is, however, called Botany Bay from the first in the Journals," any more than "No autograph Journal is, so far as is known, in existence."
The fact of this "Corner's Log" becoming another ground for the publication of one, or many more, "Cook's Endeavour," can arise only from the supposition of its likeness to the so-called "Queen's Log" and "Admiralty Log." But these, admitted to be copies, cannot compare with the one personally sent by Cook, with his signature, to Palliser, or that sent to the British Museum as Cook's by his companion on the voyage, Sir Joseph Banks; or, far more, that in Cook's own hand and signature, as seen in his own official letters.
Yet this Harbour was placed on a French map, dating from the reign of our Henry VIII, as Baie des Herbages.
Geographers have not been the most reticent upon the singularity and apparent after-thought of the name Botany Bay. It was hardly to be expected that Cook, though a skilled draftsman and interested in charts, would trouble himself about old Mappemondes, dealing with localities that were scarcely likely to come in his way, or, at any rate, until his appointment to observe the Transit of Venus in the Northern Pacific; yet he was not ignorant of what French navigators had done. In the British Museum one may see his translation of a French Voyage from Havre up the St. Lawrence. This copy is dated 1755. He may, therefore, be credited with the knowledge of French Mappemondes before the Fronde Civil Wars; in which charts, parts, at least, of Australia were delineated, and of dates anterior to Dutch movements.
The Gazette Nationale of February 11, 1807, discusses the question as to the possibility of Cook making acquaintance of a celebrated map in London, before the Endeavour sailed in August, 1768.
That wonderful and precious Dauphin Mappemonde, which I have seen at the Museum, dating from 1542, might not have been known to non-scientific Englishmen, but found a home at last in our Museum. Was Dr. Solander, Cook's botanical fellow-voyager, curator at the Museum when it arrived there? Were he or his friend Banks aware of its existence, or only learnt of it after their return? On that Map the whole eastern coast of New Holland, afterwards known as New South Wales, is laid down distinctly.
In that case, there was no marvel in Cook's striking from New Zealand, in a direct line to the southern extremity of that coast, at Cape Howe, and following the shore northward, instead of seeking a connection with the Dutch Nuyt's discovery to the south-west. He would be going over the old waters traversed by the ships from Spain and Portugal.
That gorgeous Dauphin map had its places marked in a sort of Frenchified Portuguese, as if a Dieppe cartographer had not got hold of the right words, or had, for a purpose, disguised them. Thereon, however, we read "coste dangerouse" about the spot where Cook was afterwards wrecked, as well as Baie des Plantes on the site of our Botany Bay.
The Gazette Nationale writer notes that the Dauphin map, marked with the Arms of France, was discovered, by chance, in the house of a private person, and asks if the news of it could have reached the Dutch, and so got known to a few English before its real presence in London about 1767, it not being there in 1766.
Referring to the Librarian, Solander, the French critic of 1807 adds: "That the denomination of Baie des Plantes, which he had read upon the Map confided to him, might be a fresh stimulus in the hope of botanizing on this unknown coast, since the memory of it no longer existed, and particularly in a place designated by a name so attractive to him."
It is curious that Cook gave Solander's name to the south point of the bay, "as if," says the French writer, "he were pleased to compliment his botanical friend, on perceiving at length this land, the object of his desires, where since it was already named the Bay of Plants, he must have hoped to reap an ample harvest."
Yet the secret, if so, was well kept till after the voyage of the Endeavour, since then only did the name of Botany Bay appear in Dr. Hawkesworth's work. In all Cook's old Logs we see merely Stingray or Skeat Bay, and similarly in all the Logs or journals of the chief officers and the petty officers.
Or, had Dr. Hawkesworth, Cook, Banks and Solander meanwhile made acquaintance with the appellation of Baie des Plantes and appropriated it for history? This theory would account for the various alterations of Botany on Corner's Log.