CAPTAIN COOK IN
NEW SOUTH WALES
OR
THE MYSTERY OF NAMING
BOTANY BAY
BY
JAMES BONWICK, F.R.G.S.
AUTHOR OF "GEOGRAPHY OF AUSTRALIA," "LAST OF THE TASMANIANS,"
ETC., ETC.
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON AND CO., Ltd.
ST. DUNSTAN'S HOUSE, FETTER LANE
1901
Richard Clay and Sons, Limited,
LONDON AND BUNGAY.
CAPTAIN COOK IN NEW SOUTH WALES
This being the age of criticism, and not the time of taking for grantedas a fact whatever one had heard from book or speech, an investigationof the story of Cook's Discovery of New South Wales may neither beunwelcome nor unexpected.
The story must have been deemed of consequence, when the Admiralty waswilling to pay Dr. Hawkesworth six thousand guineas, or pounds, asreported, to write the account of that voyage in H.M.S. Endeavour.
Though even after its appearance some doubts were expressed as to itspropriety, or even veracity, yet some allowance was made forprofessional jealousies, as well as for the paucity of information uponAustralian matters, and the want of means either to substantiate orreject the assertions of the writer.
Objection was taken to the literary mode adopted. The author chose tomake the narrative in the form of a personal record of events. TheCaptain was represented as speaking of himself, saying, "I saw," or "Idid," &c. It was asserted by critics that to accomplish this personalmode of narration, there would necessarily arise some difficulties inthe rearrangement of his sources of history. Was there not a littletemptation in the adoption of that plan to alter, repress, or exaggeratefacts, or even to invent trivial matters for accommodation?
The book had a wonderful sale, and no great amount of hostile remarks.Dr. Hawkesworth's death, so soon after the publication, disarmed thoseready to question. Cook's fellow-voyagers, Banks, Matra, and theofficers of the Endeavour, were either silent, absent, or unqualifiedto speak. Thoughtful men did inquire into the sources of the writer'sinformation, their extent, and authenticity. The singular dispersion,loss, or destruction of such sources were fresh causes of embarrassment.Mr., afterwards Sir Joseph, Banks, is said to have declared that hefurnished no assistance to the Editor.
Here it may be at once announced that this inquiry into the publishedVoyage of the Endeavour through the pen of Dr. Hawkesworth, has littleto do with Cook as a man and a navigator. The story was written by aliterary man, commanded or selected, and the Grand Old Sailor who hasfor so long a time engrossed the affectionate interest and respectfulregard of all Australians, as the discoverer, or, if you will, there-discoverer of the eastern side of New Holland, will not suffer in ouresteem by the criticism of a book about the voyage.
Though that side happened to be that chosen for the New South Walesearly settlement, yet the people of South Australia, Western Australia,Queensland, New Zealand, and Tasmania, with its emigrating offspring ofPort Phillip—now Victoria—lands first seen by Hollanders a century ormore before Cook was born, have the like reverence as those of Sydneyfor t