Guide to the Ships Logs of Pacific Journals and Logbooks (as filmed by the AJCP)
M1559-M1574
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: 2019
Online Items
Journal of Bartholomew Verwey, 1664 - 1667 (File Add. MS. 8948)
Journal (in Dutch) kept by Bartholomew Verwey, vice-commodore of a fleet of twelve ships, fitted out by the Governor and Council of the East Indies and sent in 1664, 1665, 1666 and 1667 to Formosa and the coasts of China . The journal previously belonged to Sir Joseph Banks. (136 ff.)
Journal of Captain Samuel Wallis on HMS Dolphin, 21 August 1766 - 11 January 1767 (File Add. MS. 15499)
The first entry in the log is dated 21 August 1766, when HMS Dolphin and HMS Swallow left Plymouth. It records the voyage of the Dolphin to Madeira and Magellan Strait and includes impressions of the Patagonians. The last entry is dated 11 January 1767. At the end of log are maps of the southern parts of America, the route of the Dolphin, Whitsunday Island, Queen Charlotte's Island, Duke of Gloucester's Island, Lord Egmont's Island, Bishop of Osnaburg's Island, Sir Charles Saunders's Island, King George's Island (Tahiti), Port Royal in King George's Island, Duke of York's Island, Admiral Boscawen's Island and Admiral Keppel's Island. (31 ff.)
Log of HMS Endeavour, 27 May 1768 - 18 July 1771 (File Add. MS.8959)
Although the log was formerly in the possession of Sir Joseph Banks, it was the official ship's log of HMS Endeavour, commanded by Lieutenant James Cook, and it should have passed to the Admiralty at the end of the voyage. During the course of the voyage, it appears to have been used by several members of the crew who were keeping logs and journals. The entries when the vessel was in harbour are quite brief, but while at sea the log provides an hourly record of the working of the ship and a daily record of the employment of the crew...
Journal of Captain Tobias Furneaux on HMS Adventure, 13 July 1772 - 3 March 1773 (File Add. MS. 27890)
The retrospective journal covers the first part of the voyage, starting with the departure of HMS Resolution and HMS Adventure from Plymouth on 13 July 1772. It records the voyage of the Adventure to Madeira and Cape Town and the separation of the two ships in the Southern Ocean (February 1773). The last entry was written on 3 March 1773 when the Adventure was sailing towards Van Diemen's Land. (20 ff.)
Pen and ink drawings of William Hodges on HMS Resolution, 1774 - 1775 (File Add. MS. 15743)
The ten large drawings are unsigned and undated. Note: The drawings are all reproduced in Rudiger Joppien and Bernard Smith, The art of Captain Cook's voyages, vol. 2, Melbourne, 1985.
Logs of Lieutenant Charles Clerke on HMS Resolution, 1772 - 1775 (File Add. MSS. 8951-8953)
The three logs originally belonged to Sir Joseph Banks.
Logs of Lieutenant Charles Clerke on HMS Resolution (97 ff.), 23 November 1772 - 15 July 1773 (Item Add. MS 8951)
The first entry of the log, which follows a two page preface by Clerke, is dated 23 November 1772, the day on which the Resolution left Cape Town. It records the voyage to Dusky Bay, New Zealand (March-April 1773) and Queen Charlotte Sound (May 1773). The last entry is dated 15 July 1773.
Logs of Lieutenant Charles Clerke on HMS Resolution (171 ff.), 16 July 1773 - 23 August 1774 (Item Add. MS 8952)
The volume begins on 16 July 1773 when the Resolution was sailing north-east from Queen Charlotte Sound. It records the voyage to Tahiti (Aug. – Sept. 1773), Friendly Islands (Sept. 1773), the Antarctic Circle (Jan. 1774), Tahiti (April – May 1774), Friendly Islands (June 1774) and the New Hebrides (July 1774). The last entry is dated 23 August 1774 when the Resolution was at the New Hebrides.
Logs of Lieutenant Charles Clerke on HMS Resolution (120 ff.), 24 August 1774 - 21 March 1775 (Item Add. MS 8953)
The third volume begins on 24 August 1774. It records the voyage from Mallicollo (Malekula) to New Caledonia (Sept. 1774), Queen Charlotte Sound (Oct. – Nov. 1774), Tierra del Fuego (Dec. 1774), South Georgia (Jan. 1775) and Cape Town (March 1775). The last entry is dated 21 March 1775. At the end of the volume are extracts (in French) from the journal of Bouvet de Lozier who commanded the frigates L'Agle and La Marie on a voyage in the Southern Ocean in 1738-1739.
Journal of Lieutenant James Burney on HMS Discovery (50 ff.), 10 February 1776 - 7 October 1778 (File Add. MS. 8955)
The first entry is dated 10 February 1776, when James Cook and Charles Clerke were appointed commanders of HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery. There are occasional entries until 12 July 1776, when the ships left Plymouth. The journal records the voyage to Cape Town, Kerguelen (Dec. 1776), Van Diemen's Land (Jan. 1777), Queen Charlotte Sound (Feb. 1777), Friendly Islands (April – July 1777), Tahiti (July-Oct. 1777), Hawaii (Jan. 1778), New Albion (March-Aug. 1778), Behring Strait (Aug. 1778) and the Arctic Sea. The last entry is dated 7 October 1778.
Journal of Thomas Edgar on HMS Discovery (102 ff.), 10 March 1776 - 6 June 1778 (File Add. MS. 37528)
The journal is a fair copy of the original, in different hands and incomplete. It begins with the dimensions of HMS Discovery and a list of the crew. The first entry of the journal is dated 10 March 1776 and there are sporadic entries until July 1776, when HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery left Plymouth. There are only occasional entries in the first part of the voyage, but they become more frequent and detailed after the ships reached Desolation Island (Kerguelen) in December 1776. The journal records the voyage to Adventure Bay, Van Diemen's Land (Jan. 1777), Queen Charlotte Sound (Feb. 1777), Friendly Islands (April – July 1777), Tahiti (July – Oct. 1777), Christmas Island (Dec. 1777), Hawaii (Jan. 1778) and New Albion (March – June 1778). The last entry is dated 6 June 1778. The journal contains formal descriptions of every anchorage, with notes on landing places, wooding and watering, descriptions of varying length of Adventure Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, Tonga and Christmas Island, and maps of the Cape of Good Hope, Tonga and Christmas Island.
Log of Joseph Woodcock on HMS King George (55 ff.), 21 October 1786 - 3 October 1787 (File Add. MS. 21239)
The log kept by Joseph Woodcock covers part of the voyage, with the first entry dated 21 October 1786, when the King George was sailing towards the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). The entries are quite detailed, with often two days to a page. It records the visits of the ship to the Sandwich Islands, (Nov. 1786 – March 1787), Prince William Sound on the Gulf of Alaska (May – June 787), Montagu Island (July 1787) and the Sandwich Islands (Sept. – Oct. 1787). The last entry is dated 3 October 1787. The log includes a profile of the coast near Prince William Sound and Montagu Island.
Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham, 1791 - 1793 (File Add. MSS. 17542-17546)
The logs are in different hands and overlap in dates.
Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (37 ff.), January 1791 - 7 September 1791 (Item Add. MS 17542)
Log commencing when HMS Chatham was put into commission at Deptford, recording the departure from England (April 1791) and the voyage to Teneriffe, the Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean.
Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (72 ff), 10 September 1791 - 27 August 1792 (Item Add. MS 17543)
Log recording the voyage to King George's Sound, New Holland (Sept. 1791), Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Oct. – Nov. 1791), Tahiti (Dec. 1791), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1792), New Albion (April 1792), Puget Sound (May 1792) and Vancouver Island (July 1792).
Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (72 ff.), 28 August 1792 - 25 December 1793 (Item Add. MS 17544)
Log recording the voyage to Nootka (Sept. 1792), San Francisco (Nov. 1792), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1793), Nootka (May 1793), Prince of Wales Island (Sept. 1793), San Francisco (Oct. 1793) and San Diego (Nov. – Dec. 1793).
Log of Lieutenant William Broughton on HMS Chatham (64 ff.), 18 August 1791 - 5 July 1792 (Item Add. MS 17545)
Rough log and astronomical observations recording the voyage to King George's Sound, New Holland (Sept. 1791), Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Oct. – Nov. 1791), Tahiti (Dec. 1791), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1792) and New Albion (April 1792).
Logs and journals of Lieutenant Peter Puget on HMS Chatham, 1793 - 1795 (File Add. MS 17547-51)
Journal (119 ff.), 28 January 1794 - 9 September 1795 (Item Add. MS 17548)
Journal, commencing 28 January 1794, when HMS Discovery and Chatham were at the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), recording the voyage to Montagu Island (May 1794), Prince William Sound (June 1794), Admiralty Island (Aug. 1794), California (Oct. 1794), Galapagos Islands (Feb. 1795), Santiago (April 1795), Cape Horn and St Helena (July 1795). The last entry is dated 9 September 1795.
Journal recording the voyage from the Sandwich Islands to Cooks Inlet and Port Chatham in Alaska (33 ff.), 15 March 1794 - 29 April 1794 (Item Add MS 17549)
Log and journal recording the homeward voyage from California to Cape Horn (47 ff.), 2 January 1795 - 15 May 1795 (Item Add MS 17550)
Log and journal (112 ff.), 2 December 1794 - 6 October 1795 (Item Add. MS 17551)
Commencing 2 December 1794 when HMS Discovery and Chatham were off the coast of Mexico, recording the voyage to the Galapagos Islands (Feb. 1795), Santiago (April 1795), Cape Horn and St Helena (July 1795). The last entry is dated 6 October 1795, when the Chatham was approaching England.
Journal of Archibald Menzies on HMS Discovery (420 ff.), December 1790 - 7 February 1794 (File Add. MS. 22641)
Retrospective journal, beginning in December 1790, when George Vancouver was given the command of HMS Discovery and ending on 7 February 1794, when the ship was at the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). It records the departure of the expedition from England (April 1791) and the voyage to Teneriffe, Cape of Good Hope, King George's Sound, New Holland (Sept. 1791), Dusky Sound, New Zealand (Oct. – Nov. 1791), Tahiti (Dec. 1791), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1792), New Albion (April 1792), Vancouver Island (July 1792), Nootka (Sept. 1792), San Francisco (Nov. 1792), Sandwich Islands (Feb. – March 1793), Nootka (May 1793), Prince of Wales Island (Sept. 1793) and San Diego (Nov. – Dec. 1793).
Journal of Lieutenant James Colnett on the sloop Rattler (275 ff.), 1 January 1793 - 20 August 1795 (File Add. MS. 30369)
The journal is dedicated by Colnett to Sir Philip Stephens, one of the Commissioners of the Admiralty, 20 August 1795. The journal records the voyage of the Rattler from Portsmouth (1 Jan. 1793) to Rio de Janeiro, Cape Horn, Galapagos Islands (June – July 1793), Cocos Island, Mexico, Cape Horn, Quibo (Feb. 1794), Galapagos Islands (March – April 1794), Mexico, Peru, Chile, Cape Horn, St Helena (Sept. 1794) and Cowes (1 Nov. 1794).
Journal of Lieutenant George Peard, HMS Blossom (104 ff.), 13 May 1825 - 31 May 1828 (File Add. MS. 35141)
The journal records the departure from Portsmouth (13 May 1825) and the voyage to Rio de Janeiro, Cape Horn, Concepcion, Valparaiso, Easter Island (Nov. 1825), Pitcairn Island (Dec. 1825), Tahiti (March 1826), Sandwich Islands (May 1826), Kamchatka (June 1826), Behring Strait, San Francisco, Sandwich Islands (Jan. – March 1827), Macao, Bonin Island, Kamchatka, Kotzebue Sound (Nov. 1827), San Francisco, Acapulco, Valparaiso and Coquimbo (May 1828). The last entry is dated 31 May 1828.
Journal of Captain John Biscoe on the brig Tula, 14 July 1830 - 1 February 1833 (File Add. MS. 15716)
The journal records the departure from Gravesend (14 July 1830) and the voyage to the Falkland Islands, South Sandwich Islands, Enderby Land, Cape Ann, Hobart (May 1831), Bay of Islands (Nov. 1831), Chatham Islands, Adelaide Island, Pitt Islands, South Shetland Islands, Falkland Islands and the return to the Downs (1 Feb. 1833).
Journal of John Price kept on the convict transport Minerva (118 ff.), 1798 - 1800 (File Add. MS. 13880)
At the beginning of the journal Price summarised his medical training and described his journey to Cork. The daily entries begin on 29 January 1799. They refer to the gradual embarkation of the convicts, convicts sent to the hospital, deaths, child births, and the arrival of political convicts. There is a lengthy description of the city and harbour of Cork, followed by lists of the ship's company and the convicts (ff. 31-35). The Minerva left Cork on 24 August 1799 and the entries refer to the winds and seas, sightings of ships, sighting of Cape Verde Islands, alleged conspiracies among convicts, disciplinary actions, the arrival at Rio de Janeiro (20 Oct. 1799), the desertion of seamen, views of the nearby countryside, impressions of the town, the departure from Brazil (8 Nov. 1799), sighting of Tristan da Cunha and Nightingale Island, drawing lessons given to Price by John Lewin, injuries suffered by convicts and seamen, sightings of whales and fish, preparations for landing, and the arrival at Port Jackson (11 Jan. 1800)...