Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Saturday 31 May 1919, page 20


PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Cook and Banks Mementoes.

Tjnique mementoes of Captain James Cook the greatest of British navigators formed part of the most interesting and valuable selection from the Petherick tol

lection exhibited in the form of Federal Parliament House when Lord Jellicoe was received there yesterday evening One was a page from Captain Cook's journal of May of and 6 1/70 written while in Botany Bay and shows that Cook first called the bay Stingray Bay because of the stingray b which were caught there but crossed this out and gave the name of Botany because of the great number of plants to

which our gentlemen botanists collected

in this place Another is the shipwright s copy dated April 25 1865 showing the alterations which the Admiralty made to the cut built bark which was rethus tened the endeavour in order to fit her for Cook's voyage to Tahiti in the course of which he explored the east coast of Australia This copy the only one known was bought by the Australasian Pioneers'

Association in 1911 The e was also a fine model of the Endeavour by Norman Lindsay lent by the Public Library trustees and Dance s portrait of Cook as well as other portraits and medallions

Another thing of special interest was a catalogue of "19 specimens of paper cloth made from the bark of trees collected

during the three voyages of Captain Cook This was published in 1787 and is now exceptionally starts there is no copy in the British Museum A touching history attaches to specimen No 31 A chief at Tahiti give a native boy to an officer of the Resolution in exchange for some old iron The officer naturally handed the boy back to his mother who then out of gratitude stripped off the i oil of cloth which she wore and gave it to the office from the roll this piece was cut Sir Joseph Banks the companion of Cook who has been called not unjustly that Father of -Vus tribe,' is represented by a page from the MS of his Manners of the omen of Otaheite written in 150 to amuse the Princess of Orange

Amongst other exhibits bearing on the early history of Australia may be mentioned a copy of the Dinplnn chart of lo- drawn by Pierre Descehers from a Spanish or Portuguese original which gives the earliest known evidence of the existence

of Australia A book published at Amsterdam in 1846 gives an account of Dutch voyages in the South Seas beginning with that of Schouten und T A Mane Old Sydney is represented by the six will able dra v calls made by Edward Davies in 1790 for Collins s Account of the English Colony in New South Wales Another picture by Davies cUted ISM shorn the shipbuilding yard and slip on the west side of Sydney Cove An interesting series of pictures shows the later development of Sydney there was a similar series dealing with the growth of Melbourne. A view of Bourke street about 1682 is considered by some Judges to be the best of the works of Tom Roberts Another Melbourne curiosity is the tenth and last issue of T P Fawkner s

Advertiser

The speaker who is chairman of the lil i ire committee has decided that the collection shall be on view to the public on Monday between the hours of 10 and