s per
day over and above his pay as Master of a sixth rate. Cook and he were
paid their allowances up to 31st December 1767, and on 17th June the Navy
Board were ordered to complete Cook's allowance up to 12th April. From
the wording of Mr. Lane's appointment it would appear that the surveyor's
position was to be left open for Cook if it was thought desirable for him
to resume it.
CHAPTER 6. 1768. PREPARATIONS FOR FIRST VOYAGE.
Till a few years ago writers on the subject were content to draw their
information as to the first voyage of Cook to the South Seas from the
so-called history of Dr. Hawkesworth. This gentleman, who posed as a
stylist (Boswell calls him a "studious imitator of Dr. Johnson"), was
introduced by Dr. Charles Burney to Lord Sandwich for the express purpose
of writing an account of the expedition, and was supplied with all the
records in the possession of the Admiralty relating to it, he had access
to the Journal of Sir Joseph Banks, the Notes of Dr. Solander and others
who accompanied Cook, and, more than all, he had the opportunity of
personal communication with the leaders of the party. Notwithstanding
these advantages he interpolated so much of his own speculations,
conclusions, and dissertations, as to render his voluminous work not only
extremely unreliable but often extremely ridiculous. Travellers to the
South Seas record that the accounts of things and places described as
seen by Cook are remarkably correct, but that the inferences drawn are
wrong. They do not realise that the statements of fact are Cook's, whilst
the deductions and ornamentations are Hawkesworth's, and were strongly
resented by Cook. Boswell relates that he told Johnson that he had met
Captain Cook at dinner at Sir John Pringle's (then President of the Royal
Society), and gave him an account of a conversation they had together.
Johnson:
"was much pleased with the conscientious accuracy of that celebrated
circumnavigator, who set me right as to many of the exaggerated accounts
given by Dr. Hawkesworth of his voyages."
Cook's opinion on the subject may be seen from his determination to
prepare his Journals for the press himself in the future.
Within the last few years the Journal of the Endeavour has been published
under the able supervision of the late Admiral Sir W.J.L. Wharton, and
the Journal of Sir Joseph Banks, which was missing for a long time, has
been recovered and published by Sir Joseph Hooker; and these
|