Curio

State Library of New South Wales
A chart of part of New Zealand or the island of Toui Poenammu

A chart of part of New Zealand or the island of Toui Poenammu

1770
Manuscript map
Bequest of Sir William Dixson, 1952
DL SPENCER 166

In mid August 1769, after almost four months in Tahiti, Cook sailed south into uncharted waters, and on 7 October 12-year-old cabin boy Nicholas Young sighted land. Honouring his promise to reward the first person to sight land, Cook named the headland Young Nicks Head after him.

Two days later Cook landed at Poverty Bay, where skirmishes resulted in the deaths of several Māori. He then sailed south to Cape Turnagain, then north, pausing at Tolaga Bay and Anaura Bay before rounding East Cape to Mercury Bay. After a week in the Bay of Islands, he turned the top of the North Island in a storm, and sailed down its west coast, before heading west in April 1770 in search of Van Diemen’s Land. Forced north by winds, his expedition came upon the east coast of Australia.

Observing the land sometimes from well out to sea, Cook made two famous errors in these charts: he charted Banks Peninsula as a probable island and Stewart Island as a probable peninsula. Both errors can be seen.

Cook's first posting was with HMS Eagle. In October and November 1755 he took part in Eagle's capture of one French warship and the sinking of another. Following the encounter Cook was promoted to boatswain.

On 7 October 1769, the 12-year-old cabin boy named Nicholas Young won a gallon of rum for being the first to sight the New Zealand coast. It is not recorded whether he was given his prize, but Cook named the headland in his honour.

Sam Holland, a lieutenant-captain in the Royal American Regiment taught Cook how to survey and draw charts. Cook met Holland when he was stationed in Nova Scotia as part of the British forces in America against the French. Cook spent several years preparing charts for the area around Newfoundland and the St Lawrence. For Cook, his accomplishment led directly to his being commissioned to the Endeavour.