Resolution in May
On 1 May, Joseph Gilbert, the Master, wrote, “Read the Articles of War to the Ships Company”. The next day, Cooper commented, “The Armourers constantly employ’d makeing Hatchets, Nails, &ca for Trade”. The following day, Cook explained, “In looking into the State of our Sea Provisions we found the Biscuit in a state of decay and that the airing and Picking we had given it at New-zealand had not done it that service we intended and expected so that we were obliged to have it all a Shore here where it has under gone a nother airing and clencing [cleansing], in which has been found unfit to eat [3420] pounds”. Two days later, Forster “went ashore & went up [a] Valley... & after we were gone that quite up as far as we could, we went over the hills eastwards... we found very few new plants, the Cascades & views are all romantic... seeing the Sun declining we hasted down towards the Tent & soon after went on board”.
On 8 May, Cook complained, “Last Night in the Middle Watch through the negligence of one of our Sentinels on Shore... he having either slept or quited his Post gave one of the Natives an oppertunity to carry off his Musquet”. According to Forster, “the Sentry had left his post, laid the Gun in a Cask, from whence it was stolen... In the Afternoon Capt Cook came ashore & soon after there came several Men & brought the Gun, & a bundle of cloath belonging to one of the Marines... with the 2 hour Glass & the Gun. The Capt made the people presents”. Cooper noted, “Read the Articles of War & Punish’d Richd Baldy Marine (one of the guards on shore) for losing his Musquet last night when Centinel at the Tent at which time sev[era]l other things were taken out of the Tent by the Natives”. The next day, Cooper added, “Richard Baldy Marine [given] 1 dozen [lashes] more for the above Crime”.
On 10 May, Cook wrote, “Otou desired to see Some of the great guns Fired from the Ship, accordingly I ordered Twelve to be fired all Shotted, which he viewed seemingly with more pain than pleasure. I believe he had never seen a Cannon fired before. In the Evening we entertained him with fire-works, which gave him great satisfaction”. According to Wales, there were “several pieces of fire-works, such as sky Rockets Serpents Air Balloons”. Cooper recorded, “Punish’d And[re]w Horn and Patrick Wheeling [Whelan] Seamen 6 lashes each for neglect of Duty”.
On 14 May, Wales wrote, “About 3 PM Weighed and got under [way] soon after which one of the seamen slid down the ship’s side with intention to leave her and swim on Shore and would certainly have Escaped had not the Lieut of Marines been Accidentally looking out of the Gun-Room Ports & seen him drop astern; on which a boat was hoisted out, and he was taken up and Confined”. According to Cooper, “John Marra Gunner’s Mate jump’d over board & endeavour’d to get on shore, Bro’t too, hoisted out the Cutter & sent after him, they took him up, he afterwards jump’d out of the Boat, dived & endeavour’d to get away, but again was taken up, Bro’t on board & confin’d in Irons, hoisted the Boat in & Made sail”.
The next day, Cook wrote, “after leaving Otaheite we directed our Course for Huahine and at one o’Clock in the afternoon of this day Anchor’d in the North entrance of Owharre Harbour [Fare], hoisted out the boats and Warp’d into a proper birth and there Moor’d the Ship”. The next day, he reported “the Natives began to bring us fruit”. The following day, Cooper commented, “The Armourers constantly employ’d making Hatchets & Nails for Trade”.
On 18 May, Forster wrote, “Mr [William] Anderson the Surgeons-Mate, went with Messrs [James] Colnet & [George] Vancouver & a Marine... shooting at a bird”. Two days later, Forster noted, “Messrs Cooper, Clarcke & Burr went out to the Lagoons a Duck-shooting”. They were Robert Palliser Cooper, Charles Clerke and John Davall Burr.
On 22 May, Cook commented, “we got more Bread fruit and Cocoa nutts than we could dispence with, but Pigs which we most wanted came far short of our expectations”. The next day, “The Ship being unmoor’d and every thing in readiness to Sail, at 8 am weighed and put to Sea... and steer’d over for the South end of Ulietea [Ra`iātea]”. Forster “took leave of this Island, where we had gotten but few plants & new subjects off Natural History”.
The journey to the island did not take long, and the next day, Cook “anchor’d in 20 fathom water, between the two points of the reef which form the entrance on which the Sea broke with Such height and Violence as was frightfull to look at... Warped the Ship in to safety where we droped an Anchor for the night”. The next day, he “went on Shore accompanied by Mr F. &ca”. The next day, Forster “went a shore & we found a plant or two we had not seen before”.
On 27 May 1774, Cooper wrote, “Employ’d getting the spare Stream Anchor out of the Hold & getting on board Stones for Ballast. Punish’d Char[le]s Williams Cooper’s Mate for losing his Tools 1 dozn Lashes”. Four days later, Cook wrote, “The Natives being informed that we should sail in a few days began to bring us in board fruit more than usual”.
Resolution in June
On 1 June, Forster “undertook an Excursion on the hills, & we found there one new plant”. The next day, Cook “had Intillegence that three days before two Ships had arrived at Huaheine, (viz) Captain Furneaux and Mr Banks, the fellow who brought the intelligence described the Persons of Mr Banks and Captain Furneaux so well that I had not the least doubt of the truth and was considering wheather or no I should send over a boat that very night, when a man, a friend of Mr F. said the whole was a lie... This Evening we entertained the Natives with fire Works”. Two days later, Wales was pleased to note, “On computing the Observations made in this Harbour, I find the Watch gives 208°.25'8"E which is only 1⅔" in time different from what it gave last Year”. Resolution was there in September 1773.
On 4 June, Cooper wrote, “At 10 Weigh’d & sail’d out of the harbour, at which time our friend ODiddy left us, universally beloved by us all”. He was referring to Hitihiti, also known as Mahine, who had joined the ship at Ra`iātea in September 1773. Cook wrote, “Odiddee did not leave us till we were almost out of the Harbour, in order that he might have an oppertunity to fire some of the guns, for being his Majestys Birth Day we gave them the Salute at going away”. King George III was born on 4 June, 1738.covered the island of Nomuka in 1643, and named it Rotterdam. Cook continued, “at 5 o’Clock Anchored on the North side of Annamocka about ¾ of a mile from the Shore... As soon as we approached the South end of the isle Several of the Natives came off in their Canoes one of which asked for me by name, a proof that these people have a communication with Amsterdam”. Resolution and Adventure had been at Tongatapu in October 1773.
On 27 June, Captain Cook in Resolution wrote, “Early in the Morn the Master and I went on Shore to look for fresh water, we were received with great Courtesy by the Natives... After breakfast I went a Shore with two Boats to Traffick with the People and ordered the Launch to follow to take in water... by Noon “the Botanizing and Shooting parties all come in except the Surgeon for whom we could not wait as the Water was Ebing fast out of the Cove”. According to Wales, “This Afternoon I went on shore, and when we landed met the surgeon, who had been left behind in the forenoon. The Natives had by surprize snatched and wrested his Gun from him, and it was with some difficulty he kept them from Striping him by presenting a tooth-pick Case which they Mistook for a Pistol; but as soon as we appeared they left him and shifted for themselves”.
The next day, Wales ruefully recorded, “The Capt and Mr Cooper being both on shore, and not coming off untill late in the Afternoon I could not wind the Watch up at the usual Time, and by some fatallity or other I forgot afterwards untill it was down; I have, two or three times before, been near let it go down on the same Account but luckily recollected before it was down. I took several Altitudes this Morning from whence I find it is 2h10'41" slower than it was before; and as I had got several at this place before it was let go down no inconvenience can possibly Arrise from this Accident; however as I had now kept it going two years I had begun to flatter my self with the hopes of carrying it home without any thing of this sort happening”.
That evening, Cook “went a Shore in Company with Mr F. and some of the officers, they made a little excursion into the isle but I did not quit the landing place... while I was now on Shore I got the names of Twenty Islands which lay between the NW and NE, some of them in Sight. Two which laid most to the West were remarkable on account of their great hight, in the most westermost we judged was a Vulcano by the Continual Column of Smoak we saw assend from the center of the isle, to clear up this point it was necessary we should approach them nearer”. The island was Tofua.
The next day, Cook, “at day-light in Morning got under Sail... and Stood to the Northward for these isles... A great number of Canoes kept about us all the forenoon”. The following day, 30 June, “In the Morning Stretched out for the high Islands having the Advantage of a gentle breeze... at 4 O’Clock in the PM we reached the two high Islands, the Southermost and the one on which the Vulcano is or is supposed to be is called by the Natives Amattafo [Tofua] and the other is round high and Peaked Oghao [Kao]”.
Ian Boreham
Originally published in Cook's Log, page 36, volume 47, number 2 (2024).