I read therein:—
"This Book was a Present from Captain Cook to Sir Hugh Palliser, containing his Logg from the 27th May, 1768, to the 11th June, 1771, during his voyage on board the Endeavour Bark, sent to make observations on the Transit of Venus in the South Seas, and afterwards to make discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere."
The book was bound in red morocco, gold bordered, with a fancy back, and marked:—
"Cook's Logg Book, 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771."
Though not, as I saw at once, wholly in Cook's handwriting, the record had no knowledge either of Botany Bay or of New South Wales, but had the Cook's style of spelling, as: "severell smokes were seen," and "saw smokes upon the shore." What was afterwards known as Botany Bay is there called "Sting Ray Harbour."
Apart from the Museum Logs, this one is undoubtedly the best authenticated Cook's Log.
THE DEPTFORD LOGS.
Among the profound Endeavour mysteries must be cited the extraordinary disappearance of the Log books of officers in the ship.
It was according to naval rule that any so compiled should, at the expiration of the voyage, be deposited with the naval authorities. After a hundred years or so a number of Endeavour Logs were discovered behind some wainscotting at the Deptford Victualling Yard. They were safely conveyed to the good custody of the officers of the London Record Office, Chancery Lane. They could not have been seen by Dr. Hawkesworth any more than those of Cook himself.
The one by Lieutenant Hickes was kept from May 27, 1768, to March 14, 1771. Third Lieutenant Gore became Second Lieutenant March 26, 1770. Bootie's Log was from May 17, 1768, to September 3, 1770; Forward's, May 17, 1768, to September 26, 1770; Green, astronomer, September 24, 1763, to October 3, 1770; C. Clerke's, August 26, 1768, to October 3, 1770; Wilkinson's, June 22, 1768, to August 3, 1770; Pickersgill's, June 10, 1768, to September 29, 1770; Lieutenant Gore's from July 3, 1768, to December 7, 1769. An unsigned Log was from May 27, 1768, to September 28, 1770; a second from August 26, 1768, to July 15, 1769; a third, May 27, 1768, to September 28, 1770; and a fourth from May 27, 1768, to January 9, 1770.