MacDonald, John and Clare.
The Endeavour Journals: Captain Cook in Australia.
Pen & Sword History.
2024.
ISBN 9781399064095.
314 pages.
I was gifted this book by Ian Boreham, our esteemed editor at the Captain Cook Society at the CCS Conference in Marton, October 2024. He had offered the book to the attendees on the condition that whoever took the book would write a review for our journal Cook’s Log. I am happy that I accepted the challenge because I found the book to be a fun read. I have no hesitation in recommending it.
The book is a chronology of the Endeavour voyage along the east coast of New Holland (Australia) during Captain Cook’s First Voyage. It is, however, not the usual tome! It is not a history researched and told by the author. There is no interpretation of the events nor commentary by the author, whose interpretations might distort history. Instead, the events during the voyage are told by quotes from the journals of four people in the ship: James Cook, the naturalist Joseph Banks, the artist Sydney Parkinson, and a midshipman James Magra. They tell the story without the interference of outside commentators.
A prologue propels us from the departure of Endeavour from England in August 1768 to her arrival at Australia in April 1770. In doing so, the authors do not interfere with the narrative, but do interject, strategically, to introduce us to the major players, with biographies on 25 members of the ship’s company of 94 men.
Chapter One begins at Point Hicks with a two-page spread of part of a chart by Cook. Extracts from the four journals are set out as the events occurred, so that every day of the voyage is accounted for. Inevitably, there are days when the journal entries are sparse, and consist of weather, depth soundings, and the like. They are navigating by dead reckoning, but recording coordinates. Small drawings depicting people or events appear as they occur. More sections of the charts appear to accompany the journal entries. Some of these sections are embellished with an icon of Endeavour to show her position as she travels. Cook is interested in interacting with the natives, and the journals often point out smoke seen on shore. The accompanying chart sections have appropriate icons whenever the journals mention seeing smoke. One criticism I have is that a magnifying glass is often necessary to read the charts. On the other hand, this necessity does enhance the adventure! For me the voyage came alive.
The eight days spent in Botany Bay are well told, particularly the interactions with the native people.
I found reading about Endeavour’s journey through the shoals of the Great Barrier Reef beyond Cape Tribulation (named “because here began all our troubles”), and her striking on Endeavour Reef, to be full of suspense, despite me knowing the story. The activities of the crew during the 48 days spent in the Endeavour River are a testament to Cook’s leadership. His slow and patiently developed relationship with the, at first, timorous natives belies the criticism he receives today for interfering with native culture. Cook was highly respectful of native culture and, as he wrote, “they are far more happier than we Europeans; being wholly unacquainted not only with the superfluous but the necessary conveniences so much sought after in Europe”.
In the same way that the book’s prologue took Endeavour to Point Hicks, the epilogue brings her home from Possession Island, through the terrors of disease in Batavia, to England in July 1771.
The book is well documented, with an extensive Glossary of Terms. Joseph Banks’s work as a naturalist is shown to be precise. His discovery of fauna and flora is well documented in his journal entries, supported by over 70 colour plates. Two other illustrations of note are a cutaway drawing of Endeavour’s decks, and a drawing of Endeavour with each of her sails labelled, something I have been curious about, but have not come across before.
The authors John and Claire MacDonald are a couple brought together by an interest in Captain Cook. While living in Cooktown they were active in the Cooktown Reenactment Association, working with the indigenous Guugu Yimithirr people there.
I recommend this book to all “Cookies”.
Bob Harrison
Originally published in Cook's Log, page 9, volume 48, number 1 (2025).