George Nowell was Carpenter; Samuel Evans, Boatswain. The Quarter-master Thierman, and Widowson came from New York. James Magra, afterwards Matra, of New York, volunteered as seaman, but rose to be Midshipman, and the special friend, through many years, of Sir Joseph Banks, whose correspondence is in the Museum. Not one of the Deptford Logs knows Botany Bay or New South Wales.
How came these seamen's Logs hidden? Why was their testimony not to be forthcoming in the book? Had the discovery of the Dauphin Map, 1542, put Stingray Bay out of court, and induced the Editor, not Banks, nor Cook, to revive the ancient name of Baie des Plantes? Did Banks and Solander object to the removal of Cook's name, or were other and higher influences at work to conceal the Deptford Logs, so that all might hear only Botany Bay and New South Wales? But the Record Office has the Deptford hidden Logs, that came to tell another tale than that of the official publication.
BOTANY BAY.
LOG REFERENCES.
The Cook's Museum Autograph Log, 27,885, has this version of the visit to the Bay:—
"Sunday, April 29, 1770.—Gentle breezes and settled weather. At 3 p.m. anchored in 7 fathom water in a place which I call'd Sting-Ray Harbour, the South point bore S.E., and the North point East distant from the south shore 1 mile. We saw several of the natives on both sides of the Harbour as we came in, and a few hutts, women, and children on the north shore opposite to the place where we anchor'd, and where I soon after landed with a party of men, accompanied by Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and Tupia—as we approached the shore the natives all made off except two men, who at first seem'd resolved to oppose our landing. We endeavour'd to gain their consent to land by throwing them some nails, beeds, &c., ashore, but this had not the desired effect, for as we put into the shore one of them threw a large stone at us, and as soon as we landed they threw 2 darts at us, but the firing of two or three musquets loaded with small shott they took to the woods, and we saw them no more. We found here a few poor Hutts, made of the Bark of trees, in one of which were hid 4 or 5 Children, with whom we left some strings of Beeds, &c. After searching for fresh water without success except a little in a small hole—dug in the sand—we embarqued and went over to the north point of the Bay, where in coming in we saw several of the natives—but when we now landed we saw nobody, but we here found some fresh water, which came trinkling down and stood in Pools among the rocks, but as this was troublesome to get at I sent a party of men ashore in the morning abreast of the Ship to dig holes in the Sand, by which means we found fresh water, sufficient to water the Ship. After breakfast I sent some empty casks ashore to fill, and a party of men to cut Wood, and went myself in the Pinnace to sound and explore the Bay, in the doing of which I saw several of the natives, who all fled at my approach."
In reference to the name of Botany Bay, Cook's Autograph Log, numbered 27,885, Additional Manuscripts, British Museum, must have the first place. There we read:—
"Remarks on May the 6th, 1770." "Pleasent weather. People empd wooding," &c.
Afterwards came the Bay news, thus:—