24 October 1770

James Cook's Journal: Daily Entries

Table of Contents On this day ... 24 October 1770 Endeavour Voyage Maps James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia The authorised published account of Cook's Voyage by John Hawkesworth Other Accounts ... • Joseph Banks's Journal Sydney Parkinson's Journal 1770 Index Search Contact us Search for Nautical Term in Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine...

24 October 1770 Wednesday 24th Empd clearing the Ship having a store House to put our stores &Ca in — In the PM I went up to Town in order to put on board the first Dutch Ship that Sails a Packet for the Admiralty containing a Copy of my Journal, a Chart of the South Sea, a nother of New, Zeland and one of the East Coast of New Holland - In the Morning the General accompanied by the Water Fiscall, some of the Councel and the Commodore each in their Respective boats went out into the Road on board the Oldest Captain in order to appoint him Commodore of the Fleet ready to Sail for Holland - The Ships were drawn up in two lines between which the General past to the New Commodores Ship which lay the farthest out - Each Ship as he past and repast gave him 3 Cheers and as soon as he was on board and the Dutch flag hoisted at the Main Topmast head, the other Commodore Saluted him with 21 Guns and emmidiatly after struck his Broad Pendant which was again hoisted as soon as the General left the other Ship, he was then saluted by with 17 Guns by the new made Commodore who now hoisted a Common pendant - this Ceremony ^of apointing a Commodore over the Grand fleet, as they call it, we were told is Yearly perform'd    I went out in my Boat on purpose to see it ^accompaned by Mr Banks and Dr Solander because we were told that it was one of the grandest sights Batavia afforded, that may be too and yet it did not recompence us for our trouble - I thought the whole was but ill conducted and the fleet ^appear'd to be very badly man'd    This Fleet consists of 10 or 12 Sail of Stout Ships not only these but all or most of their other Ships are perced for 50 Guns, but have only their upper tier Mounted and these are more by half than they have men to fight — Voyaging Accounts © Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 331, 2004 Published by kind permission of the Library To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17701024.html