Exploring the Archives at the NMM...

09 Mar 2015

One of the amazing things about working in the archives of the National Maritime Museum is that every once in a while you find something fantastically engrossing. Most recently an entry in the journal kept during the Cook’s first voyage (JOD/19) caught my eye, and it concerns him and his crew’s initial contact with the aboriginal populace of the place later known as Botany Bay. What really stuck out to me was how cautious and tentative this first meeting was. Cook’s approach from the ship to the beach ended in a sporadic flurry of warning shots from both sides, and when the skittish explorers were eventually able to land, almost their first action was to confiscate any darts, as were used by the natives, that they came across. “… the darts have each four prongs and pointed with fish bones… sum’d to be intended more for striking fish than offensive weapons…” (Monday 30th April 1769) Rather than being defined by hostility though, I think this whole exchange is perhaps best summed up by the quote above. It shows that the crew did not simply form assumptions about the Aborigines based on their initial reception, but rather used any and all resources available to them to assess the situation more fully. Perhaps as a direct result of this, the crew subsequently began leaving beads in recompense whenever they confiscated fishing darts. I find this contrast between the initial hostilities and the crew’s subsequent observations and actions absolutely fascinating. Such scenes show how explorers approached the unknown with equal parts caution and conciliation, and makes for a vivid and thoroughly enthralling read. Tim (Retrieval Technician)