Captain Cook: His Life, Voyages, and Discoveries

by William Henry Giles Kingston

The remainder of the time in the harbour was spent in waiting for stores, in further repairing the ships, in two or three bear-hunting expeditions, in entertaining the garrison and natives in return for the hospitality which had been received, and in receiving a visit from the Acting Governor and other Russian officers.

On October 9, the ships having cleared the entrance of Awatska Bay, steered to the southward for the purpose of examining the islands to the north of Japan, and then proceeding on to Macao. The condition of the ships’ hulls and rigging rendered it dangerous to make any more prolonged explorations. Even the larger part of this plan it was found impossible to follow, for, strong westerly winds blowing, they were driven off the land, and after passing Japan they anchored at Macao. Here, not without some delay and difficulty, they procured the stores they required; Captain King having to make an excursion to Canton for the purpose. He here sold about twenty sea otter and other skins, belonging chiefly to their deceased commanders, for the sum of eight hundred dollars. On returning, he found that the larger portion of those on board had been sold, and had realised not much less than two thousand pounds. The large profits on the skins, which had been looked upon as of little value beforehand, had so excited the minds of the men that two of them made off with a six-oared cutter, for the purpose of returning to North America; and as they were not overtaken, they probably very soon perished.

The reports brought home by the expedition probably set on foot that trade in furs with the west coast of North America which afterwards became of considerable importance. In consequence of hearing, at Macao, of the war which had broken out between England and France, the ships mounted all their guns; but Captain Gore being informed, at the same time, that the French had issued orders to their cruisers that the ships under the command of Captain Cook should be treated as belonging to neutral or friendly powers, resolved himself to preserve, throughout the remainder of the voyage, the strictest neutrality.

The expedition left Macao on January 12, 1780, and on the 20th anchored in a harbour of Pulo Condore. Here a supply of buffaloes was obtained. They were large animals, and very wild. Two were kept on board the Discovery by Captain King, who intended to take them to England. They soon became perfectly tame, but, unfortunately, one of them suffered a severe injury, and both were killed.

On leaving Pulo Condore the ships passed through the Straits of Banca, in sight of the island of Sumatra. The Resolution brought up off the island of Cracatoa, in the Straits of Sunda, and filled up her casks with water, which the Discovery was unable to do, in consequence of being becalmed. On reaching Cape Town the English were treated with the same kindness and attention which they had received on their former visits. Here they obtained confirmation of the intelligence that the French had given directions to their cruisers not to molest them. Having taken their stores on board, they sailed out of Table Bay on May 9, and on June 12 passed the equator for the fourth time during their voyage.

The ships made the coast of Ireland on August 12, but southerly winds compelled them to run to the north. On October 4 the ships arrived at the Nore, after an absence of four years, two months, and twenty-two days. During that time the Resolution had lost but five men by sickness, three of whom were in a precarious state of health when leaving England, while the Discovery did not lose a man. It is remarkable that during the whole time they were at sea the ships never lost sight of each other for a day together, except twice; the first time owing to an accident which happened to the Discovery off the coast of Owhyhee, and the second to the fogs that were met with at the entrance of Awatska Bay. A stronger proof cannot be given of the skill and vigilance of the subaltern officers, to whom the merit of this entirely belonged.

The death of Captain Cook was already known in England by means of the despatches sent home through Major Behm. All that a nation could do was done to testify respect for his memory. His widow received a pension of 200 pounds a year, and each of his children had 25 pounds a year settled on them. Other sums were granted to his widow, and medals were struck to commemorate his achievements, while a coat of arms was granted to his family.

Of his six children, three died in their infancy, and the other three were cut off in their early manhood. The second, Nathaniel, a promising youth, was lost, when a midshipman, on board the Thunderer, in a hurricane off Jamaica on October 3, 1780. The youngest, Hugh, was intended for the ministry, and died at Oxford, in the seventeenth year of his age. The eldest, James, who was in the Navy, commanded the Spitfire sloop-of-war. He was drowned, in 1794, at the age of thirty, when attempting to push off from Poole, during a gale of wind, to rejoin his ship.

It is said that the bereaved mother, on receiving tidings of the death of her last surviving son, destroyed all the letters she had received from her husband, in the vain hope of banishing recollection of the past. She survived, however, to the year 1835, when she died, at the age of ninety-three.

A handsome piece of plate was presented to Major Behm, in acknowledgment of the attention and liberality with which he treated the English in Siberia; while gold medals were offered to the French king for his generous orders with regard to the ships of the expedition, as also to the Empress of Russia, as it was in her dominions, and by one of her officers, that they had been so liberally treated.