Journal of David Samwell entitled 'Some account of a voyage to the South Seas', 1772-1779

Component identifier:

File Egerton MS 2591

Content Summary:

The journal of David Samwell is entitled 'Some account of a voyage to South Seas in 1776 – 1777 -1778'. This is slightly inaccurate as the last entry is dated 29 November 1779, when HMS Discovery was entering the Canton River on the journey back to England.

The journal describes the voyage of HMS Resolution, departing from Portsmouth (13 July 1776) and visiting Kerguelen Island (p. 5), Adventure Bay, Van Diemen's Land (p. 7), Charlotte Sound, New Zealand (p. 10), Nomuka (p. 29), Tongatapu and the Friendly Islands (p. 41), Tahiti (p. 67), the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii, p. 92), Nootka Sound (Canada, p. 100), Prince William Sound (Alaska) and the Aleutian coast. Following Samwell's transfer to HMS Discovery in August 1778, the journal describes the voyage to the Bering Sea, Unalaska Island, the Sandwich Islands (pp. 152-241), Kamtschatka (pp. 245-62), the coast of Japan (p. 288) and the Canton River (p. 296).

The first part of the volume is a summary account rather than a journal, with the voyage from England to Kerguelen covered in a single page. After about twenty or so pages it becomes a journal, with daily entries. There are, however, some gaps. For instance, there are no entries for 14-22 October 1777, 9-23 December 1777 or 1-17 January 1778. In general, when the ships are at sea the entries are extremely succinct, giving the course, wind, weather and position (eg. February – March 1778) or just the weather and position (eg. March – April 1779).

The bulk of the journal describes the lands and islands visited by the ships and the relations between the British seamen and the Indigenous peoples of those lands. There are detailed descriptions of topography, flora and fauna, villages, houses, canoes, crops, fishing, weapons, military exercises, artefacts, the social organisation of places visited, religions, customs, clothing, and the physical appearance of the people, including tattoos and other decorations. Samwell deals at length with trading for provisions, meetings with kings and chiefs, feasts, dances, music, marriage and burial ceremonies, and sexual relations between European seamen and Indigenous peoples. He also refers to conflict between seamen and Maoris (p. 14), Cook's skill in negotiating with local leaders, Omai's dealings with islanders, the parting with Omai at Tahiti (p. 84), and meetings with Russian officials, traders and priests at Kamtschatka. The second visit to the Sandwich Islands (November 1778 – March 1779) and the death of Cook (p. 201) are covered in great detail. There are also word lists for the Friendly Islands (pp. 62-63), Nootka Sound (p. 112), Unalaska (pp. 149-50), Hawaii (pp. 240-41) and Kamtschatka (pp. 259-60).

The volume also contains an engraved portrait of Samwell, a silhouette, possibly of Samwell, and a few prints of indigenous peoples, including a man and woman of Prince William Sound. At the end of the volume is a copy of Samwell's pamphlet, A narrative of the death of Captain James Cook to which are added some particulars concerning his life and character and observations respecting the introduction of the venereal diseases into the Sandwich Islands (London, 1781), and a printed poem Ode for the year 1790 as it was intended to have been rehearsed this day at St James's.

Includes Volume I and II of Capt. C. Clerke's logbooks kept on board the H.M.S. Resolution (1772-1774).

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M1583

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