SEEKING THE UNKNOWN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 666, 19 October 1933, Page 3

SEEKING THE UNKNOWN

SEALED ORDERS SECRET ADMJRALTY ORDERS OF COOK MADE PUiBLIC. SUPPOSED SOUTHERN CONTINENT. What "was the real purpose, apart from the observation of the transit ' of Venus, of Cook's toui" of 1768-1771, in the course of which he ran along the east coast of Australia, asks Thomas Darnhahin in the Sydney Daily Telegraph. Phe answer is to he found in the seaied packet containing secret instructions sent to Cook hy the Admiralty on July 30, 1768. A copy of these secret instructions', wh'ich came to light only in 1928, is now in the Mitchell Library. It has ' been consulted by courtesy of the Principal Librarian (Mr W. H. Ifould) and the MJitchell Librarian (Miss Leeson). There is no mention of Australia or of New Holland in it. Cook was told to look for the supposed southern continent to the east of New Zeaiand, and, if hq failed to find it, to examine New Zeaiand. JPhe instructions hegin: — | "Whereas there is reason to believe ' that a continent, or a land of great extent, may be found to the southward of the track lately made by Capt. Wallis in H.M.S. Dolphin (of which you will receive a copy), and 'the tracks of any former navigators ' in pursuits of the like kind, you are therefore, in pursuance of his Majesty's pleasure, hereby requfired and directed to put to sea with the barque you command, as soon as the observation of the transit of Venus ' shall be finished, and to observe the following instructions." To Go South. Cook was instructed to go southward in search o$ the continent. If he failed to find it he was to go to 40 degrees south, and then run westward between 35 and 40 degrees until he either discovered it or fell in with the eastern side of the land discovered by Tasman, and later Called New Zeaiand. Cook was to observe the nature of the soil, the beasts, birds and fishes, mincs and minerals, and valuable stones. He was to hring back specimens of all these, and to collect seeds, grains and fruits. He had also to study "the genius. temper, dispositions, and number" of the natives of this imaginary continent, and to "invite them t0 traffick." If Cook failed to discover the continent, h© was "to fall in with New Zeaiand," and to examine the country carefully. He was to r.serve enough proyisions to enable him to reach soifte known port, wherej he could procure a sufficiency of supplies to carry him to England, hy way either of th'e Cape of Good Hope or of Cape Horn. When the expedition was sent out the Spaniards and others scoffed at the idea that it was being sent round the world to see the transit of Venus. The secret instructions show that it was really a voyage of discovery and of annexation. Its main purpose was to seek for that great southern continent which Dalrymple and others supposed to exist in the temperature zone between New Zeaiand and South America, the lands reported to have been seen by. Juan Fernandez and other Spanish voyagers. It is interesting to notice that the Lords of the Admiralty seem to have been confident that New Zeaiand was not part of the southern continent. Voyages round Cape Horn had disproved Ta.sman's theory that his newfound land might he connected with the Staten Land off Tierra del Fuego. They showed that Staten Land was a small island. Yet, as far .as we know, there was nothing to prove that the west coast of the South Island of New Zeaiand was not joined to a continent. Of Australia the Admiralty says nothing. It does not even suggest that after leaving New Zeaiand Cook might visit it. It may be that before the Lords of the Admiralty drew up these secret instructions they had seen the map of Jean de Rotz, dating back to 1542. It is of this map, later given to the British Museum by Sir Joseph Banks, that Dr. Williamsori remarks in the "Cambridge Modem History of Australia" : — '"Its eastern and western coasts ibear a greater resemhlance to the true outline than do the coasts of the Americas in La Cosa's Spanish map of 1500, which cmbodied the results ■ of numerous voyages of discovery." If that is so, the silence of the instructions about Australia is easily understood. The mystery of the choice of Botany Bay as the place for the first British settlement in Australia remains.