NZ101 - Original Chart of New Zealand by the Master of H.M.S. Endeavour

James Cook

h27" x w23"

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Pickersgill was highly esteemed by Cook for his skills as a surveyor, his abilities to work and deal with the indigenous peoples they encountered as well as for his judgment. After the voyage Cook recommended Pickersgill to the rank of Lieutenant. Also of note is that when this voyage started Cook himself was only a Lieutenant.

 

One of the most important factors in the making of the whole chart of New Zealand is that while it is undoubtedly the culmination of several smaller surveys, it is also an excellent example of Cook's mastery of the 'running survey'[1]. His depiction of the coast was excellent and strikingly accurate, a features of all of Cook's work.

 

Included on the chart, around the entire coastline, are written notes and descriptions as to snow-capped mountains, forests, sandy 'barren' beaches and forests.

 

Knowledge of how to record Latitude was at the time quite accurate and, by way of example, Cook places Cape Kidnappers (Hawkes Bay) at Latitude 39° 43"S, which compares well with today's satellite position of 39° 64"S. Fixing Longitude in 1769 however was still in its infancy and even Cook struggled with this. He places Cape Kidnappers at 182° 24"W (177° 76'E) longitude compared to an actual fix of 177° 7"W. Overall, this translates to a potential navigational error of about 240 nautical miles by today's standards, which only stresses the importance of soon to be invented marine chronometer!

 

From the 1768-71 exploration of New Zealand and the southern seas Cook returned with no less than 200 surveys. As early as 1773 the surveys made by Cook and Pickersgill were used to produce charts and maps for public consumption. Most notable amongst them is one included in John Hawkesworth's; An Account of the Voyages undertaken by the order of His Present Majesty for making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere (London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1773).

 

Close inspection of the chart presented here shows soundings around the North East shore from Cape Britt down as far as Hawkes Bay and Cape Kidnappers. Beyond that, there is little attempt to record on the chart much other hydrographic information but far more detail is of course available through Cook's journals which provide a thorough and sometimes colorful account of the adventure on a daily basis. By way of example here is part of Cook's entry for the 31st October 1769:

   

'At 9 Five Canoes came off to us, in one of which were upwards of 40 Men all Arm'd with Pikes &Ca - from this and other circumstances it fully appear'd that they came with no friendly intention, and I at this Time being very busey and had no inclination to stay upon deck to watch their motions, I order'd a grape shot to be fired a little wide of them. This made them pull off a little and then they got together either to consult what to do or to look about them upon this I order'd a round shot to be fired over their heads which frightend them to that degree that I believe they did not think them selves safe untill they got a shore, this occasion'd our calling the point of land off which this Happen'd Cape Runaway / Lat 37°..32" Long 181°..50" / and 17 or 18 Leagues to the westward of East Cape, Four Leagues to the westward of the East Cape is a Bay which I have named Hicks's Bay because Lieutenant Hicks was the first who discover'd it.'

 

It had taken Cook nearly 6 months to complete this survey starting from his first sighting of land on the 7th October 1769, until the decision was made to sail west to reach New Holland on the 31st March 1770.

 

[1] A Running Survey is a rough survey made by a vessel while coasting. Bearings to landmarks are taken at intervals as the vessel sails offshore, and are used to fix features on the coast and further inland. Intervening coastal detail is sketched-in.

Original Chart of New Zealand by the Master of H.M.S. Endeavour, James Cook