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 . This being the age of criticism, and not the time of taking for granted as a fact whatever one had heard from book or speech, an investigation of the story of Cook's Discovery of New South Wales may neither be unwelcome nor unexpected. Th

These are of two ages, determined by their contents. Those which introduce Stingray Bay instead of Botany Bay , and which mention neither New South Wales nor New Wales pertain to the primitive order, executed while on the voyage, like the logs of the Lieutenant, the Gunner, the Boatswain, the Master's-Mate, &c. Of this class there are two in the British Museum, one of which (a copy) was presented there by Cook's friend, Sir Joseph Banks, and the other, containing only a portion of the vo

The Palliser Log , presented by Cook himself to his old American Commander and patron, Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, was examined by me in Sunderland, when invited there by its owner for some days, Mr. R. W. Hudson, the northern shipowner. His lady, a Palliser, assured me the book had never been out of the possession of the family since Cook's gift. I read therein:— "This Book was a Present from Captain Cook to Sir Hugh Palliser, containing his Logg from the 27th May, 1768, to the 11th June, 1771,

Among the profound Endeavour mysteries must be cited the extraordinary disappearance of the Log books of officers in the ship. It was according to naval rule that any so compiled should, at the expiration of the voyage, be deposited with the naval authorities. After a hundred years or so a number of Endeavour Logs were discovered behind some wainscotting at the Deptford Victualling Yard. They were safely conveyed to the good custody of the officers of the London Record Office, Chancery Lane. The

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

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 y e boats out, and y e Capn n &c. attempting to land was opposed by a few of

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 n

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 t

The variations upon this subject are very remarkable. Without noting what is contained in the so-called "Official History" of the "Voyage in the Endeavour ," it must be allowed that reported Logs of Cook, now in the possession of the Sovereign and the Admiralty, give the general statement that Possession of the Territory was taken by Cook, after leaving the eastern side of New Holland, in the usual form, in the name of the King, as New South Wales . By that name Dr. Hawkesworth publicly acknowle

In a capital sketch of Captain Cook, appearing in the Sydney Town and Country Journal on February 22, 1879, when the noble New South Wales statue to Captain Cook was unveiled, the writer observed, "what the legendary Æneas was to Rome, Captain James Cook is to Eastern Australia." Though the remark only referred to the remarkable wanderings by both men over various seas, the word legendary may, in a way, be applied to the two. The voyage of the Trojan has been regarded by the learned men of Europ