James Cook held the rank and position of Commander of the sloop Resolution.  However, he was called by everyone Captain, as was usual for those in charge of ships.

On 1 October, 1774, Resolution had just sailed from New Caledonia south towards New Zealand.  He wrote, “at Noon we were out of sight of land.  The next day, it “blew a strong gale, by squals attended with rain.  This banished all thoughts of returning to the Coast of Caledonia and we stretched to the SSE”.

The next day, First Lieutenant Robert Palliser Cooper wrote, at 1am “About this time we Cross’d the Tropic of Capricorn the 5th time”.  The first time was on 24 September, 1772, as Resolution and Adventure were heading south towards Cape Town.  The second time was on 2 August, 1773, as the ships were sailing from New Zealand to Tahiti.  The third time was on 11 October, 1773, as Resolution was sailing from Tonga to New Zealand.  The fourth time was on 20 March, 1774, as she sailed from Easter Island to the Marquesas.

On 4 October, Johann Reinhold Forster wrote, “We had today at dinner part of the Shark caught last Sunday.  As it is fresh meat every body is very eager to eat of it & if properly prepared & dressed it is commonly very good”. 

Two days later, he wrote, “These 3 days I have not been able to enjoy my Cabin.  The Decks are now by the rolling & working of the Ship quite opened at all her Seams; we have no pitch to mend them, by each washing of the Deck my & my sons [George] Cabins were drowned in a Deluge of Salt-Water & at each rain in one of fresh [water]”.  Cook noted, “Caulkers at work caulking the Decks.  We had neither Pitch Tar nor Rosin left to pay the seams, this was done with Varnish of Pine and afterwards covered with Coral Sand, it made a cement which far exceeded my expectation”.

On 8 October, Forster wrote, “About Sunset a great Shoal of Large Fish like Porpesses passed the Ship & frisked about it, one of which was struck with a Harpoon, & two boats being hoisted out, it was shot & killed by 5 Musket balls, & then brought on board”.  The next day he added, “the Fish [actually a Dolphin] was cut up, skimmed & distributed among several Messes, as far as it would reach; & I must confess, though it was something dry, it was however very good”.

Norfolk Island

On 10 October, “At Day-break”, wrote Cook, “an Island was discovered bearing SWBS...  After dinner hoisted out two boats in which my self, some of the officers and gentlemen went to take a view of the Island and its produce, we found no difficulty in landing behind some rocks which lined part of the coast...  We found the Island uninhabited... the chief produce of the isle is Spruce Pines which grow here in abundance and to a vast size, from two to three feet diameter and upwards, it is of a different sort to those in New Caledonia and also to those in New Zealand and for Masts, Yards &c^a [it is] superior to both.  We cut down one of the Smallest trees we could find and Cut a length of the uper end to make a Topg^t Mast or Yard.  My Carpenter [James Wallis] tells me that the wood is exactly of the same nature as the Quebeck Pines”.  The trees were the Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria excelsa). 

According to Forster, “The Isle is everywhere surrounded by large rocks, washed & surrounded by the Sea at high Water.  The Shore with large Stones, & the beach barren., the ascent to the Isle immensely Steep & high, full of Bindweeds & other creeping plants, so that it costs immense labour to get up to its woody parts, which have very little Underwood, & where we could easily walk”. 

Cooper in Resolution wrote at 1 am, “Bro’t too to hoist the Pinnace & Cutter out... kept plying off & on [until] ½ past 6 [pm] the Captain came on board”.

Cook “took posission of this Isle as I had done of all the others we had discovered, and named it Norfolk Isle, in honor of that noble family”.  William Wales, astronomer, noted that it was named “after the Duchess of Norfolk”.  Forster added that she “recommended it to Capt Cook to have one Isle named after her”.  Mary (née Blount) was the wife of Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk.  She died in May 1773, so would never know of this honour.

On 11 October, Cook wrote, “Being clear of the isle we stretched to the South...  My design was to touch at Queen Charlottes Sound in New Zealand, there to refresh my people and put the Ship in a condition to cross this great ocean in a high Latitude once more”.

New Zealand

On 17 October, Cook wrote, “Day-break saw Mount Egmont (covered with everlasting snow) bearing SE½E...  Steer’d SSE for Queen Charlottes Sound”.  According to Forster, “Several diving Petrels & black Shearwaters attend the Ship...  The breeze turned into a fresh Gale; we go 8 knots”.

The next day, Cook wrote, “at 9 [AM] haul’d round point Jackson through a Sea which looked Terrible, occasioned by the Tide, Wind & Sea, but as we knew the Cause it did not alarm us...  At 11 Anchored before Ship Cove the strong fluries from the land not permiting us to get in...  As we could not move the Ship I went into the Cove to try to catch some fish with the Sein.  As soon as I landed I looked for the bottle I had left behind in which was the [memorandum for Captain Tobias Furneaux]... it was gone, but by whom it did not appear”.  Forster “shot 8 Shags, the Captain one & one Curlew, & 9 young ones were knocked down from the Nests”.

On 19 October, Cook wrote, “being little wind, weighed and Warped into the Cove [Ship Cove] and there moored a Cable each way, Intending to wait here to refresh the Crew, refit the Ship in the best manner we could and compleat her with Wood and Water.  We unbent the Sails to repair several having been much damag’d... Struck and unriged the Fore and Main Topmasts to fix moveable Cheeks to them...  Set up the Forge to make bolts for the above use and repair what was wanting in the Iron way.  Set up the Astronomers Observatory on shore... and Tents for the reception of a Guard, Sailmakers, Coopers, &c^a. Ordered Vegetable, of which here were plenty, to be boiled with Oatmeal & Portable Soup every Morning for breakfast and with Pease and Portable Soup every day to dinner for all hands over and above their usual allowance of salt meat”.

On the same day, Forster noted that “Capt Cook examined again every thing about the place where our Tent had been last time, & there we found several Trees cut down, that we left standing & especially was one Tree cut down with a crosscut-Saw, which we had left standing & to which our Tent-rope had been fixed last year...  all these Arguments convinced us, that the Adventure had been here after us”.  No Māori were to be seen in the area.  Therefore, wrote Forster, “We fired... a Gun in the Evening, that the Natives might hear it & come to see us, because they commonly provide us with fish for a trifle”

Three days later, “None of the Natives having yet made their appearance”, wrote Cook, “we made a fire on the isle [Motuara], judgeing the smoke would draw their attention towards us”.  The next day, “after washing the decks and Scrubing betwixt wind and Water, all who chused were at liberty to go a shore”.  According to Forster, “my Son drew a new Fish... & I described the same.  M^r [Anders] Sparman went ashore & shot a few birds, which we put into Spirits”.

On 24 October, Cook wrote, “Two Canoes were seen coming down the Sound but retired behind a point on the west side upon discovering us...  After breakfast I went in a Boat to look for them accompani’d by the Botanists.  As we proceeded a long shore we shott sever^! birds, the report of our guns gave notice of our approach and the Natives discovered them selves by hollaing to us but when we came before their habitations only two men appeared... the rest had taken to the Woods and hills, but the moment we landed they knew us again, joy took place of fear, they hurried out of the woods, embraced us over and over and skiped about like Mad men.  I made them presents of Hatchets, Knives, Cloth & Medals and in return they gave us a quantity of fish.  There were only one or two amongest them whose faces we could well recollect”.

The next day, “Early in the Morning”, wrote Cook”, our friends paid us a Viset and brought with them a quantity of fish which they exchanged for Otaheite cloth... and then returned to their habita­tions”.  Also that day, Forster wrote, “George, M^r Sparman & I went ashore, but we got only one bird & no plants except a couple of aquatic Mosses...  In the Afternoon... the Mosses were described & drawn”.

On 26 October, Cook wrote, “The Carpenters had no sooner finished the Cheeks to the Top-masts than we found one of the fore Cross-trees broke, set them to work to make a new one out of the Spare Anchor Stock.  Got into the after hold four Launch Load of Shingle ballast...  Our good friends the Natives stick by us and supply us plentifully with fish”.  Forster “went to Motuaro [Motuara Island]...  I found no vestiges on the post fixed there, of the Adventure’s being there.  I carved in the Post, Resolution, 1774. Octob”.

On 28 October, Cook wrote, “Went on a Shooting party to the west bay...  Returned on board with about a Dozⁿ and a half of Wild fowl, Shaggs and Sea Pies”.  Two days later, “One of the officers found in the Woods not far from our tents a fresh hens egg, a proof that the Poultry that we left here are living”.  The next day, “the Cap^t offerred me”, wrote Forster, “a boat to Long Island... I walked the whole length of it, & collected some plants & one small mossy new plant...  The Gentleman that came with me saw... a black boar... probably one, we or Capt. Furneaux left here”.

On 1 November, Forster wrote, “several Canoes with Natives... brought Fish & Curiosities, of which great Quantities were bought.  They had especially bone Pate-Patoos, green-Stone or Jade & some of their Cloth”. 

Two days later, Cooper “Punish’d John Marra Gunners Mate 1 dozen for insolent behaviour & for secreting himself in an Indian canoe in order to leave the Ship last night”.  Cook “Compleated the Ship with Wood and Water and nearly finished all our other works except Caulking which goes on slowly, as having only two Caulkers and a great deal to do and which must absolutely be done before we can put to sea”.  The next day, he “Went over to Long Island to look for the Hog which had ben there, found it to be one of the Sows Captain Furneaux left behind”.

On 5 November, Cook, “went in the Pinnace up the Sound accompanied by Mr F. and his party.  I had some thoughts of finding the termination of it or to see if it communicated with the sea, in our way we met with several people out fishing of whom we made the necessary enquiries, they all agreed there was no passage to Sea by the head of the Sound.  After proceeding five Leagues up, which was farther than I had ever been before, we met a Canoe conducted by four or five men who confirm’d what the others had told us”.  They rowed to an inlet “on the SE side of the Sound four or five leagues above Ship Cove... proceeded ENE down the Inlet which we at last found to open into the Sea...  It was four o’Clock in the after noon before we made this discovery”.  They had rowed along Queen Charlotte Sound and through what is now known as Tory Channel. 

On 6 November, Gilbert wrote, “Punish’d Jn^o Keplin [John Coghlan] with a dozen lashes for leaving the Boat when on duty and declareing he would go with the Indians.  He thought proper to come back of himself”.

The next day Cook wrote, “A fresh gale at NE attended with rain which put a stop to Calking”.  The following day, there was “fair weather which enabled us to go on with Calking, the Seams we are obliged to pay with a kind of putty made of Cooks fat and Chalk, for as to Pitch and Tarr we have had none for some Months Past and a Cask of Varnish of Pine which served as a substitute for all purposes is now expended”.

On 9 November, Cook “got every thing off from the Shore, unmoor’d and hove short on the best bower [anchor], waiting for the Calkers to finish their work...  PM hove up the anchor and drop’d out of the Cove and then anchored in a clear place for the more readier getting under-sail in the morning”.  Forster “went after breakfast ashore, & saw... the place where M^r Bailey’s Astronomical tent had been fixed [during the Endeavour voyage].  I observed the hole where the Clock had been standing”.  The next day, Cook wrote, “At Daylight weighed and stood out of the Sound with a gentle breeze...  At 8 hauled round the Two Brothers [islands] and steered for Cape Campbel which is at the SE entrance of [Cook] Strait”.

Sailing Across the Vast South Pacific Ocean

On 11 November, Cook wrote, “we steered SBE all sails Set, with a view of getting into the Latitude of 54° or 55° [South].  My intention was to cross this vast Ocean nearly in these Parallels, and so as to pass over those parts which were left unexplored last summer”.  According to Cooper, “The Carpenters employ’d about the Pinnace having found one of the Links of the Chain jam’d round the Roller below...  Serv’d slops [clothes] to the Ships Company”.  Joseph Gilbert, Resolution’s Master, “saw many of our old friends, Birds of the Petrel Genus great and small which accompany us to the Southern Extremes of the Globe.  I do not recollect one day in high latitudes that we have not seen some of these Birds”.

The following day, Cooper “Turn’d the 2 Cutters bottom up”, and the next day, “Saw an appearance like Land to the SSW... & haul’d up for it... Bore away again the supposed Land proving nothing but a fog Bank”.

On 14 November, Cooper wrote, “Served Grog to the Ships Company...  Found the ship to have sprung a Leak in the Gunners Store Room”.  The next day, Cook noted, we “passed the Meridian of 180° East [from now I shall] reckon my Longitude West of the first Meridian, viz Greenwich”, which is 0°.  According to Forster “we found the Ship had sprung a leak on the Starboard-bow not far from the Stern”.  The following day he was able to record, “in 8 hours [the leak] increased only 5 inches in the Pumpwell, we cannot mend it till we get calm weather, or come to Anchor somewhere”.

On 17 November, Forster wrote, “I got a cold in the small of my back, & the Cap^t got likewise one of his Feet chillblained, by sitting near a port, where the Wind blew through the Chinks... several Penguins were seen”.  The next day, “the Ship rolled very violently: & as Mr [John] Harrison, the Watchmaker has represented to the board of Longitude that a Ship’s position in rolling weather deviated never beyond 20° from its perpendicular position, I am perfectly sure, that our Ship was more than 40° degrees deviating, in some of the most violent rolls...  The chests in the Gunroom broke lose from their lashings, & the Astronomical Quadrant rolled about from one side of the Ship to the other” 

On 21 November, Forster wrote, “Blue Petrels in Sight, & some Penguins heard”.  The next day, Cooper “Smoak’d the ship between Decks.  The Carpenters employ’d repairing the Launch”.

On 23 November, Cook wrote, “Our Course was now E½N”.  Forster “Saw great numbers of blue Petrels & several yellowbilled Albatrosses”.  Cooper recorded, “The Carpenters employ’d repairing the Launch & making a new Door for the Light Room, the old one [being] intirely decayed”.  Three days later, Forster wrote, “This 24 hours run is the best [i.e, fastest] ever since we have been in the Ship, for she made 184 miles by the Log”.  According to Isaac Smith, master’s mate, “Lost a Logg & two Lines”.

On 27 November, Cook wrote, “we were in the Latitude of 55°6' [South].  I now gave up all hopes of finding any more land in this Ocean and came to a Resolution to steer directly for the West entrance of the Straits of Magelhanes, with a View of coasting the out, or South side of Terra del Fuego round Cape Horn to Strait La Maire.  As the world has but a very imperfect knowlidge of this Coast, I thought the Coasting it would be of more advantage to both Navigation and Geography than any thing I could expect to find in a higher latitude”. 

The next day, “The Tiller Rope broke”, wrote Cooper.  “Reev’d a new [one]”.  Reeve means to pass the end of a rope through a hole.  Forster “saw several white & black Porpesses & several blue Petrels, with some yellow billed Albatrosses”.  The next day, “The Gale still continues, it is foggy & the Sea washes the Sides & Decks of our Ship”.

On 3 December, Gilbert wrote, “Cleand and smoakd betwixt Decks with gunpowder”.  The next day, “The Ensign staff blew over board and was lost”.  Five days later, “The Captain has a return of swelled feet & Obstructions”, wrote Forster.  “my Son has likewise swelled Legs, all owing to the Scurvy”.

On 10 December, Gilbert wrote, “Saw a Diver, these Birds (in the first part of the voyage) we supposed not to go far from Land, we have seen them some hundred Leagues off”. 

On 14 December, Forster wrote, “We observe great numbers of blue Petrels about the Ship, with some sooty & yellowbilled Albatrosses.  The blue Petrels have not been seen for a long space of time, ever since the first of December”.  Two days later, “The birds are almost all gone so that hardly a Petrel or Albatross appears”.

Tierra del Fuego

On 17 December, Cook wrote, “steered ENE in order to make sure of falling in with Cape Deseado”, the north-west point of Desolation Island, behind which is the Pacific entrance to the Strait of Magellan.  The next day, Cooper “Saw the Land from NBE to EBN”.  According to Forster “The appearance of the Land is none of the most favourable ones.  For the hills tho’ not very steep not ver[y] high, are however bleak & barren & all the inland ones are covered with Snow”.

Cook felt, “The land now before us can be no other than the west Coast of Terra del Fuego and near the West entrance to the Straits of Magelhanes... I have now done with the SOUTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN, and flatter my self that no one will think that I have left it unexplor’d, or that more could have been done in one voyage towards obtaining that end than has been done in this”.

The next day, Cook “steered SEBE along the coast and soon passed [what] I called Cape Desolation, because near it commenced the most desolate and barren Country I ever saw... [passed] an island which I named Gilbert Isle after my Master... stood in for the land... a lofty Promontory... terminated in two high towers...  This Wild rock obtained the name of York Minster”, which is the cathedral in York, the major town in Yorkshire.  The county in which Cook was born.  He continued, “Two leagues to the westward of this Head, appeared a large Bay”, Cook Bay.

On 20 December, Cook wrote, “I took the opportunity to stand in for the land with a view to going into one of the many Ports which seemed open to receive us, in order to take a view of the Country and recrute our stock of Wood and Water”.  Forster saw “more than 30 Grampusses [whales] blowing & frisking about the Ship, chiefly in Couples”.

The next day Cook “found a Cove in which was Anchorage...  We went to work to clear a place to fill Water, cut wood and set up a Tent for the reception of a guard, which was thought necessary as we had already discovered that barren as this country is it was not without people, altho’ we had as yet seen none.  M^r Wales also got his observatory and Instruments on shore, but it was with the greatest difficulty he could find a place of sufficient stability and clear of the Mountains which every where surrounded us, to set them up in, and at last was obliged to content himself with the top of a rock”.  They were now at Christmas Sound.

On 22 December, Cook wrote, “sent Lieutenants [Charles] Clerke and [Richard] Pickersgill, accom­panied by some of the other officers, to examine and draw a sketch of the Channel on the other side of the island and I went my self in a nother boat accompanied by the Botanists, to survey the Northern parts of the Sound”.  Forster “found a great part of the Moss & Plants lately burnt, so that the Natives must not be far off...  we found two old Birds, with some Young ones, shaped like Duck & very shy, running on the Water & beating it with their Wings, which gives them such a velocity as hardly a Bird has, when flying ever so swift.  Former Navigators had called these Birds Race-horses”. 

Cooper “Found Will^m Wedgeborough Marine missing who we imagine fell over board last night as he was seen very much in Liquor at 12 O’Clock & was drown’d”.

The next day, Cook “Sent Lieut Pickersgill in the Cutter to explore the East side of the Inlet, my self acompaned by the two M^r Forsters and M^r Sparman went in the Pinnace to the West”.  The following day, Cook formed “two Shooting parties; M^r Pickersgill and his assoceates went in the Cutter and my self and the botanists in the Pinnace... on the South side of the isle were abundance of Geese; it happen’d to be the Moulting season and the most of them were ashore for this purpose and could not fly... [we] got Sixty two with which we return’d aboard in the evening, all heartily tired...  M^r Pickersgill and his associates got aboard... with 14 Geese; so that I was able to make a distribution to the whole Crew”.  According to Cooper, “The Captain serv’d out to the Shups Company a Goose to every 3 men”.

Forster commented, “We were much fatigued, & prepared every thing for to treat as many Gentlemen as our Cabin & Table could hold.  We were disturbed during the night by our Ships-Crew, who allmost all got drunk in honor of the Christmass-day”.

On 25 December, Cook wrote, for “our Christmas Cheer... we had not experienced such fare for some time, Roast and boiled Geese, Goose pies &c^a was victuals little known to us, and we had yet some Madeira Wine left, which was the only Article of our provisions that was mended by keeping; so that our friends in England did not perhaps, celebrate Christmas more cheerfully than we did”.  According to Forster, “We sat down to our Dinner, which consisted chiefly of Dishes made of Geese in various ways.  Our Soup was made of geese, we had Geese, boiled, roasted, & in Pyes, & plenty of fine Sellery in the Soup & for Sallad.  All went on with a great deal of mirth & Glee & we went to bed at 3 o’clock in the morning at broad daylight.  We found that we could hardly shut our Eyes, or have the least comfortable nap, for the noise of the drunken Ships-Crew, who were continually fighting”. 

The next day, Forster wrote, “The Captain sent all drunken noisy fellows a shore, to take there an airing & get sober again... We described various plants & birds.  My Son, M^r Sparman & I fell sick at dinner from the Soup with Greens & could eat nothing.  My Son had got a Rheumatism in his Leg”.

On 27 December, Cook wrote, “Having already compleated our water, I order’d the Wood, Tent and observatory to be got onboard...  The Festival which we celebrated at this place occasion’d my giving it the name of Christmas Sound”. 

The next day, “at 4 o’Clock in the Morning” wrote Cook, “began to unmoor and at 8 weighed and stood out to Sea with a light breeze at NW which afterwards freshned and was attended with rain...  We continued to steer SEBS and ESE...  At Sun-set [saw] a point which I judged to be the west point of Nassau Bay, discovered by the Dutch Fleet under the Command of Admiral Hermite in 1624... In some Charts it is called False Cape Horn, as being the Southern point of Terra del Fuego”. 

On 29 December, Cook wrote, “At 4 Cape Horn, for which we now steered, bore EBS... At half past 7 we passed this famous Cape and entered the Southern Atlantick Ocean.  It is the very same point of land which I took for the Cape when I passed it in 1769 [in Endeavour]... steered NE½E and NE for Strait La Maire with a view of looking into Success bay to see if there were any traces of the Adventure having been there”. 

On 30 December, Cook wrote, “we had light airs & Calms by turns...  we were driven by the Current over to Staten Land.  The calm was succeeded by a light breeze at NNW with which we stood over for Success Bay...  I was here in 1769.  As soon as we got off the Bay I sent Lieutenant Pickersgill to see if any trace remained of a Ship having been there lately...  Mr Pickersgill saw not the least signs of any Ship having been there lately.  I had inscribed the Ships name on a Card, which he nailed in a tree, at the place where Endeavour Watered.  This was done with a view of giving Captain Furneaux some information in case he was behind us and should put in here”.  According to Forster, “a boat was sent in the Bay... to nail a Chart to a conspicuous Tree, whereon was written: Resolution passed the Straights Dec. ye 31st 1774”.

Ian Boreham

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 34, volume 47, number 4 (2024).