Captain Cook 1770

12/05/2009 Steve Austin

James Cook, Ship Cove, and Tangata Whenua

The Endeavour was Cook's ship for the first of his three voyages to New Zealand, arriving in Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, on 16 January, 1770. This was part of a six month long circumnavigation of New Zealand. They departed on 6 February, 1770. During his three voyages, and two visits, Cook spent a total of 328 days on, or around, our country's coastline. He spent about 100 days at Ship Cove.

He mapped the outline of the country with considerable accuracy. His observations of Maori culture, and natural history, combined with the observations recorded by his men, have been a rich source of information for over 200 years. His comments on the abundance of whales, seals, timber, and flax encouraged British interest.

Cook largely established that: there was no such continent as Terra Australis Incognita; that New Zealand was made up of two large islands; and that Maori culture was closely related to that of the Tahitians.

In Queen Charlotte Sound he recorded:

The Number of Inhabitants hardly exceeds 300 or 400 People. They live dispers'd along the Shore in search of their daily bread, which is fish and firn roots, for they Cultivate no part of the land.

James Cook, 6 Feb 1770

The Europeans left potatoes, and turnips as well as other vegetables. They also brought serious diseases to Maori, including tuberculosis, and venereal diseases. The impact of these has been noted to have been worse where Cook, and his men, stayed for longer periods, most notably in Queen Charlotte Sound. They also introduced destructive black rats.

Cook's second voyage involved two ships the Resolution (commanded by Cook), and the Adventure. Lieutenant Tobias Furneaux commanded the Adventure. They left from Plymouth Sound on 13 July 1772.

By today's standards the ships were not equipped for the perilous seas of the Atlantic Ocean, or the Antarctic Circle. The dangers of ice pack, and icebergs, as well as scurvy, were dangerous challenges.

On 8 February 1773, the two ships lost contact with each other. They were not to join forces together again until 18 May 1773, in Queen Charlotte Sound. The Adventure had arrived in Ships Cove on 6 April 1773, after four days of battling the elements in Cook Strait. Before Cook arrived, the Adventure was prepared for winter, and the crew thought they would be safe there for that season.

Once Cook arrived, they learned that he had other plans to sail through the central Pacific.

The morning after his arrival, Cook went out to load up a boat with edible greens for the crews of both ships, and instructed that they be boiled with wheat, and his scurvy preventing broth. This would be given to the men for every breakfast, and dinner to prevent illness.

Various animals were introduced to the country, Furneaux liberated a boar, and a sow. A male, and also a female goat were released in East Bay. But Cook, on 23 May 1773, was disappointed with his failure to introduce sheep to this country:

Last Night the Ewe and Ram I had with so much care and trouble brought to this place, died, we did suppose that they were poisoned by eating of some poisonous plant, thus all my fine hopes of stocking this Country with a breed of Sheep were blasted in a moment.


Later that month, Cook recorded that two, or three, Maori families had set themselves up, living near the ships, supplying fish for the benefit of the crew. He acknowledged that their fishing methods, and expertise were superior.

Cook departed the Sounds on 7 June 1773.

The second voyage was marred by the loss of ten men from the Adventure, the incident happened at Wharehunga Bay, Arapawa Island. They were killed, and eaten. Cook did not respond punitively, but made an attempt to find out, from the Maori who took part in the killing, exactly what had happened. One of the sailors had taken something, and nothing offered in return, this initiated the killings. Cook acted with moderation, commonsense, and restraint.

Cook's third voyage arrived in Queen Charlotte Sound on 12 February 1777, and he stayed until 29 March 1777. While he was here, he met new travelling companions.

Te Wheherua was a pleasant young man who was keen to be with Cook. He was very keen to go to Huahine with Omai. Omai was from the Society Islands, Furneaux had taken him to London in 1774, Cook was taking him home in 1777. Cook finally gave in, and took Te Wheherua, and his younger relation Koa, aboard the Resolution to the Cook Islands, Tonga, and the Society Islands. They remained in the Society Islands with Omai, until he died in 1780. Both of them died shortly after.


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Caption (Please crop out the old one)

Motuara Island showing the area once planted in vegetable gardens by Furneaux's men

About Steve

Steve joined the Museum in 2006 to lead the Museum into its next phase of development. Steve graduated in Art History, Music and History. He has a first class honors degree in History.

 

After lecturing at Christchurch College of Education for ten years, Steve worked in Wellington at the City Gallery before moving to The Dowse, and later the Nelson Provincial Museum.

 

Steve is currently working on two books. The first is on early Chinese settlers in New Zealand. His other project is on New Zealand photographer Thelma Kent, who was active in the 1930s.