George Forster; Nigel Erskine (intro.), Cook, der Entdecker: Versuch eines Denkmals. Berlin, 1787; Maritime Series Number 6, Sydney, Australia: Hordern House [www. hordern.com], 2007. 39 + 276 pp., annotated bibliography. AUS $325 (plus p&h), cloth; ISBN 978-1-87556-749-2; AUS $925 (+ p&h), deluxe slip-case; ISBN 978-187556-750-8.
Cook, the Discoverer: An Attempted Memorial originally served as the introduction to a German translation of the official account of James Cook's final Pacific voyage. Three people made a contribution to this edition: the translator, the editor and the author. The anonymous translator can be dealt without much difficulty. Despite the occasional odd choice of word, such as "concatenation" rather than "linkage" for Verkettung, the English text flows as freely as Forster's German permits. Especially at the beginning of the book, that is sometimes not very well. As the translator points out, philosophical musings can be difficult going in any language. But especially upon reaching the section entitled "Planning," the flow becomes seemingly effortless and is a delight to read.
As for the editor's introduction and the editing itself, the first is what one would expect and the second leaves something to be desired. George Forster and his father, Johann, may be known to dedicated students of Captain Cook's career, but beyond that small band, they are something short of famous. The editor gives them a brief introduction. They were the naturalists who went on Cook's second expedition after Sir Joseph Banks withdrew in a huff. Although, as the editor points out, the father was universally unpopular with all of the ship's company, it is fair to say that the son got on reasonably well with everyone while remaining loyal to his father. As a result, the editor takes on the delicate task of emphasizing Johann and George's contribution to the voyage while not disparaging Cook and the other voyagers. He does so competently.
That is not a good description of the editing. There are sins of both omission and commission. The first annoying omission is modern geographical names. While most readers no doubt figured out that O-Taheiti or Taheiti is Tahiti, or even that Bolabola is Bora Bora, what are they to make of Maurua or Tabuamanu? When it came to editorial notes in the margins on Forster's text, they only appear to translate Latin phrases, identify their authors or other little known figures mentioned in the text. So when Forster categorically states [183] that Van Diemen's Land [Tasmania] is connected to New Holland [the Australian continent], the margins remain blank. The introduction, as opposed to Forster's text, does have two editorial endnotes out of fifty-nine that are intended to correct misstatements by the author. Unfortunately one of those is only half correct. While, as the note says, wort of malt does not contain any vitamin C to prevent scurvy, sauerkraut does.
Along slightly different lines, for some unexplained reason, the twenty important contributions of Cook highlighted by Forster appear in both the translated text and in an introductory endnote with no commentary.
That leaves Forster's contribution. A little over fifteen years before he wrote this introduction, he had experienced everything from the Antarctic Ocean to Tahiti when he accompanied Cook on his second Pacific voyage. Forster was not a professional sailor or an astronomer or a navigator, but he was an extremely observant young man. In the section of the book called "Planning" he paints a vivid word picture of what life was like aboard a cramped eighteenth-century sailing ship in unexplored waters. In terms understandable to the laymen, Forster describes what the dangers are, and what makes them dangerous. Although he says nothing particularly new about British seamen of this era, he does write about their mental and physical attributes so clearly that Cook's problems with making his ship run efficiently are highlighted in a most useful way.
Again, while there is little new here, Cook springs to life as a highly competent ship's commander. Most of all he comes through as someone with a sense of when to push, and when to let up. For readers familiar with Cook's career, Forster's words of praise of him as a gifted leader of men are a sad reminder of how much he changed for the worse on his final voyage. That was true both in the way he dealt with his shipboard subordinates and with the Pacific Islanders he encountered.
If there is any part of Forster's essay that is likely to make a modern day acad¬emic reader uncomfortable, it is his sections on the islanders, Australian aborigines and Maoris of New Zealand. Granted, periodically he does give realistic descriptions of negotiating with these people for the necessities of life, and the dangers that not knowing their ways and language posed to the Europeans. He also had good judgment about how little it was possible to learn in the short period of time the expedition remained in a given location. In Forster's view, Cook was a discoverer, not an explorer. Yet, despite all these fine sentiments, when discussing the lands touched by European expeditions, Forster treats them as if they are empty of people, or, if he acknowledges the existence of non-European inhabitants, argues they have no right to "undeveloped" lands. He then praises the idea of using the North American model. Here he sees European Enlightenment ideals taking root with the colonists and leading to the creation of the United States. As early as 1787, before any settlement has taken place, he predicts this US model would succeed in Australia and New Zealand and then spread to people in the rest of the world. By this he means to the Chinese and Indians. The aborigines and Maoris hardly get a mention. As uncomfortable as Forster's views may be for an academic audience, when it comes to the twenty-first century political scene, in many ways he seems like a man ahead of his time.
Roy Schreiber, Professor Emeritus Indiana University South Bend
South Bend, IN, USA