"NOT IMPOSSIBLE"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 28, 5 January 1940, Page 11

"NOT IMPOSSIBLE"

The Historian's View ITH a twinkle in Ais eye, Dr. J. C. Beaglehole, an historical authority who is at X present édititig Cook’s letters, and manuscripts relating to Cook’s life, for publication, tells The Listener that Mr. Atkinson is unduly hard on historians. However, he does not attempt to retaliate too severely. He disagrees with mariy of Mr. Atkinson’s theories, notably about the social outlook and domestic infelicity of Captain Cook’s wife. But the facts, genefally speaking, he thinks are "not impossible." ~ OPE ee ee ee ES ng ER "~

It. would be neces- — sary, he said, first of all to substantiate the fact that the James Cook referred to really was the son of Captain James Cook, and not a felation of the many other Cooks connected with the Navy. There was for instance, a James Cook who also accompanied the charting expedition up the St. Lawrence, but who

was no relation of the explofer’s and never rose above the rank of commander. This point satisfied, Dr. Beaglehole says it would then be necessary to confirm the baptismal register of Robert of Illing. The missing notice of the son Jatnes’s mattiage was less important. If the marriage had taken place at all it might quite easily have taken place in another parish. If it had not taken place (as Mr. Atkinson tentatively suggests) then that would not affect historical accuracy so long as the line of descent could be proven, legitimate or illegitimate. Not All Settled Yet " There is still a good deal of reseafch to be done on Cook’s life,’ said Dr. Beaglehole. New facts or information would be welcomed. " You can assure Mr. Atkinson that the historians will accept it, even if it does mean altering a few commas and semicolons." He does not place much emphasis on the question of social position raised by Mr. Atkinson. For one thing, when Cook returned from Canada his social position was not raised very much by his promotion to be Master-a position which did not carry with it the rank associated with the term in its present accepted sense. The Master was generally in charge

of a ship, under the Captain or Commander and Lieutenants. Cook’s real rise to superior position did not take place until after the Seven Years’ War. His work (with several others) on the St. Lawrence soundings had earned him the esteem of his immediate superiors. When the wat was finished he was given independent charge of a small sloop, still with the rank of master, and sent to chart the Newfoundland coast. Here, his work was so outstanding that it came to the attention of the Admiralty, and his observations of an eclipse of the sun attracted the notice of the Royal Society, whose minutes of proceedings tecotd Cook’s report. This finally made his name and secured for hith the command of the Endeavour, which he sailed on the first Pacific voyage as a Lieutenant. Plenty of Precedent There was nothing new in this rise from the ranks, even for that period of naval history. Dr. Beaglehole mentions the similar promotion of Captain Bligh, or of Captain Clark, who sailed on Cook’s first voyage as an able seaman before the mast, and accompanied Cook on the third voyage as a Captain. These points, he considered, rather discounted the suggestion that Cook had marffied so far above his social position, and Dr. Beaglehole also very much doubted that Cook’s wife had been as shtewish as Mr. Atkinson would make out. In fact, there was a story that Mrs. Cook, defending her husband from charges that he was glum, had said "he is never glurn with me." Captain Cook’s Five Sons Five sons is the strictly accurate total of Captain Cook’s family. Dr. Beaglehole says that one died in 1768 aged one month, another died in 1772 aged four months, Nathaniel died aged 16 in a hurricane off Jamaica in 1780 (he had joined the Navy), Hugh went to Christ’s College, Cambridge, and died of scarlet fever in 1793, aged 23. James was the eldest. James, too, was in the Navy, and attained the rank of Commander. He had to hutry from Poole to Portsmouth to joifi a new command, and took passage in a small boat with a crowd of sailors. In rough water just out of Poole harbour the boat capsized, and all that was found of James was his body, washed up on the Isle of Wight, with his pockets emptied and a wound on his head. A Question of Drink A sixth direct relative has been recognised by the historians: Captain Cook’s sister. Papers relating to her are in Auckland now. Dr. Beaglehole believes he has heard some story that dritik was one of her failings, although that might or might not have some relation to Mr. Atkinson’s theory about Robert's teetotalism and Jamés’s taste for a drop. Making all allowances for minor discrepancies of fact in dates and stall incident, Dr. Beaglehole was still not convinced that Mr, Atkinson’s story was acceptable; but he repeated:. "It is not impossible,"