The Character of Captain James Cook, by David Samwell

A replica of James Cook’s ship HMS Endeavour stands in Darling Harbour, Sydney, Australia, in 2017. Cook is remembered chiefly as the first European to chart and explore the coast of Australia, but his voyages added much more than this to our knowledge of world geography and botany. His teams on three voyages (aboard such famous vessels as HMS Endeavour, Resolution, Discovery and Adventure) also charted New Zealand and parts of Antarctica, visited places as diverse as Jakarta, Tonga and Nootka Sound at Vancouver Island, and conducted experiments in astronomy from Tahiti.

The Character of Captain James Cook

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IN exploring unknown countries, the dangers he had to encounter were various and uncommon. On such occasions, he always displayed great presence of mind, and a steady perseverance in pursuit of his object. The acquisition he has made to our knowledge of the globe is immense, besides improving the art of navigation,* and enriching the science of natural philosophy.*

The strict economy he observed in the expenditure of the ship’s stores, and the unremitting care he employed for the preservation of the health of his people, were the causes that enabled him to prosecute discoveries in remote parts of the globe, for such a length of time as had been deemed impracticable by former navigators. The method he discovered for preserving the health of seamen in long voyages, will transmit his name to posterity as the friend and benefactor of mankind:* the success which attended it, afforded this truly great man more satisfaction, than the distinguished fame that attended his discoveries.

by David Samwell 1751-1798

abridged

Abridged from ‘A Narrative of the Death of Captain James Cook’ (1786), by David Samwell (1751-1798).

Cook used his circumnavigations to make practical experiments for the Royal Navy in determining longitude, one of the great scientific and commercial conundrums of the age. His ships navigated with the help of a chronometer based on the recent groundbreaking work of fellow-Yorkshireman John Harrison. See John Harrison’s Marine Chronometer.

See Kanguru!.

Fresh food was the key, and he went to the length of taking a goat with him to Australia; the nanny survived the rigours of two circumnavigations of the globe and was put out to grass — wearing a silver medal inscribed with a tribute in Latin verse, specially composed by Dr Johnson — in 1772. Cook also bartered for fresh food from the islanders they met. As the journeys lengthened, Cook had less to offer, and they often took to raiding his stores; on one such occasion Cook momentarily lost his customary presence of mind, and it cost him his life.

Précis

Samwell turned from Cook’s appearance to his character as an explorer, emphasising his stubborn perseverance but also his attention to detail, especially the health of his crew. Indeed, Samwell ranked this as high among Cook’s achievements as his discoveries themselves, and added that all his fame at home had given Cook much less satisfaction.

Questions for Critics

1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?

2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?

3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?

Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.

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