Continent of Smoke
by
Jeff Timbery, Alberta Hornsby, John & Clare MacDonald
Episode Five
28th April 1770 (cont’d)
THE LONGBOAT AND PINNACE, fully loaded with FORTY MEN of the ship’s company, formally uniformed and fully armed, advance abreast in a line towards the shore. THE SOUND OF THEIR OARS dipping in steady time to the rhythmic VOICE of JAMES DOUGLAS, 14th EARL of MORTON, President of the Royal Society.
(Before the voyage set out from England the Earl of Morton corresponded with Cook offering him advice on how to deal with native populations he might encounter during the voyage.)
We observe the expectant faces of THE COMPANY and come to rest on COOK’S face….
MORTON (Correspondence to Cook)
“The following hints, hastily put together; and probably very incorrect, are however humbly submitted to the consideration of Captain Cook and the other Gentlemen, by their hearty well-wisher and Most obedient Servant James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton and President of the Royal Society.”
“To exercise the utmost patience and forbearance with respect to the natives of the several Lands where the ship may touch.”
“To check the petulance of the sailors, and restrain the wanton use of Fire Arms.”
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THE HUTS AT THE LANDING PLACE.
COOMAN gets up and goes to his collection of FISHING SPEARS leaning against his hut. Not finding what he wants he turns to PADUO who is watching him.
PADUO
What are you doing?
(Translation in progress)
COOMAN
Do you have any fighting spears?
PADUO waves Cooman away, refusing to be part of Cooman’s plan to confront the strangers.
COOMAN chooses a selection of 4 OR 5 FISHING SPEARS from his collection of 20 or so.
MAREEYANGO joins COOMAN
COOMAN (to Mareeyango)
You ready?
MAREEYANGO
I’m ready.
Cooman hands Mareeyango the bundle of SPEARS and selects the same number for himself. Mareeyango looks at their FOUR-PRONGED TIPS and shrugs. Then picks up TWO WOOMERAS.
COOMAN (to Paduo)
You coming?
PADUO
You seen how many there are. We wouldn’t stand a chance. Better try to talk to them.
COOMAN looks the same question to Moola. Moola doesn’t answer and bows his head.
COOMAN (to Moola)
You can play possum if you like but you’ll see, they’re here to take our women.
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THE APPROACHING LONGBOAT AND PINNACE.
The expectant faces of THE BOAT COMPANY and the VOICE of JAMES DOUGLAS, 14th EARL of MORTON continuing.
MORTON (Correspondence to Cook cont’d)
“To have it still in view that shedding the blood of those people is a crime of the highest nature: – They are human creatures, the work of the same omnipotent Author, equally under his care with the most polished Europeans; perhaps being less offensive, more entitled to his favour. “
“They are the natural, and in the strictest sense of the word, the legal possessors of the several Regions they inhabit.”
“No European Nation has a right to occupy any part of their country, or settle among them without their voluntary consent.”
“Conquest over such people can give no just title; because they could never be the Aggressors.”
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THE SOUTH SHORE
COOMAN and MAREEYANGO with their weapons walk down to the foreshore to meet their adversary.
(They wear no body paint. Their beards are thick and bushy. They are lean, active and nimble, their voices coarse and strong.)
MORTON (correspondence cont’d)
“They may naturally and justly attempt to repel intruders, whom they may apprehend are come to disturb them in the quiet possession of country, whether that apprehension be well or ill founded.”
“Therefore should they in a hostile manner oppose a landing, and kill some men in the attempt, even this would hardly justify firing among them, ’till every other gentle method had been tried.”
The BOATS approach the rocks on the shoreline.
COOMAN and MAREEYANGO reach the edge of the shore. The BOATS are FORTY YARDS OFFSHORE.
COOMAN SHOUTS, SHAKING HIS SPEARS AND THREATENING the Europeans.
Representation only
COOMAN
Warra warra wai!
(Far away run! – English subtitle)
(All Tharawal dialogue throughout the story is subtitled in English.)
COOK
Lay upon your oars!… (The BOATS cease rowing)… What’s he say?…
Pause. No one has any suggestions.
BANKS (to Solander)
They are blacker than any we have seen in the Voyage.
SOLANDER
Though by no means negroes, and their hair is by no means woolly like that of a Negro.
COOMAN
Warra warra wai!
COOK
Tupia?…
TUPIA assumes a superior air.
COOK (to Tupia)
Speak with them Tupia.
TUPIA (in Polynesian)
Hiki iā mākou ke hele i uka?…
(Can we come ashore?…)
COOMAN
Warra warra wai!
COOK
…. tell them we want water…. water…. here….(COOK hands TUPIA a leather JUG.)
TUPIA takes the JUG and stands up.
TUPIA
Wai… pono mākou i ka wai! (Tupia holds up the JUG, bottom upwards, to show them it is empty, then applies it to his lips in the attitude of drinking) …..wai! wai!
COOMAN waves them to be gone.
COOK
Tell them we wish to trade with them. Tell them we have good things to trade.
TUPIA
Not my people!
TUPIA sits down.
COOK (Journal entry)
This was to little purpose for neither us nor Tupia could understand one word, they said.
MAREEYANGO gestures them to leave.
PARKINSON
I think they mean for us to be gone Captain.
COOMAN and MAREEYANGO shake their spears in defiance.
COOK
Throw them some nails Isaac.
(ISAAC SMITH – AB – 16 years – cousin to Elizabeth Cook, Cook’s wife.)
ISAAC stands up and hurls a PARCEL OF IRON NAILS onto the rocks where the package bursts, scattering the nails.
MAREEYANGO takes up some of the IRON NAILS and examines them.
BANKS hurls a package of COLOURED BEADS.
COOMAN (gestures to the Europeans to go away )
Come on! Come nearer where my spear will reach yer. Come on!
COOK (misinterpreting Cooman’s signal)
Good…. put the boats in!… but gently!
COXSWAINS OF THE TWO BOATS
Come to your oars…. ease away!
Immediately COOMAN and MAREEYANGO ready their spears for throwing.
COOK
Rest on your oars!
BANKS
They appear resolved to dispute our landing to the utmost.
Gunner Forwood (Journal entry)
“Notwithstanding the Captain tried all means to persuade them to lay their weapons down by heaving them ashore presents, but all to no purpose.”
Cook PAUSES to considers the situation.
Banks (Journal entry)
“In this manner, we parleyed with them for about a quarter of an hour, they waving us to be gone, and we again signing that we wanted water and that we meant them no harm.”
COOMAN and MAREEYANGO continue their shouts of defiance.
COOK
Well, wood and water we must have. (to his servant WILLIAM HOWSON -16 years) My musket Will, hand it to me.
HOWSON hands Cook the musket.
COOK sights his musket between the TWO WARRIORS, and FIRES! (Cook aims between the two, not at them.)
At the explosion, MAREEYANGO instantly drops his bundle of spears on the rocks. Behind him the bush erupts with alarm as everywhere FLOCKS OF COCKATOOS, and LORIKEETS rise screaming out of the treetops.
A moment of shock and awe.
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THE BUSH
The two women, ANARDA and GOOWARRA are still digging in the bush. They hear the shot and look up.
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BACK AT THE HUTS.
GOOYONG and CHILDREN, PADUO and MOOLA jump to their feet. So too MOOLGO and EEKA. There is confusion amongst them, and some howling from the WOMEN. Two of the children begin to cry.
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THE FORESHORE.
Consternation shows on COOMAN’S FACE, but he holds his ground.
MAREEYANGO snatches up his spears again. For them now the fight is really on! Their blood boiling, their bodies immune to pain.
COOMAN finds a STONE and hurls it like a bullet, narrowly missing the Europeans.
COOK (Handing back his musket)
Another…. with small shot this time.
COOK sights on the COOMAN’S legs, and FIRES!
COOMAN hardly flinches as the shot strikes him. His legs are peppered with blooded spots, but his defiance doesn’t falter.
COOK
It struck him, did it not?
BANKS
Indeed it did!… he’s a valiant fellow!
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THE BUSH
GOOWARRA and ANARDA running through the bush. Very distressed.
THE SOUND in the distance as ANOTHER SHOT EXPLODES.
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THE FORESHORE
SERGEANT EDGCUMBE lowers his smoking musket.
COOMAN receives Edgecumbe’s small shot with something like the same disdain as before. He looks behind him to the HUTS, gaging the distance – a hundred yards away – then sprints towards them. Left alone, MAREEYANGO gives up a little ground.
COOK
Put the boats in!
THE TWO COXSWAINS OF THE BOATS
Come to your oars…. row!
THE BOATS move towards a convenient place to land on the rocks.
COOK prepares to step ashore … then changes his mind.
COOK (To young Isaac Smith)
Isaac, you shall land first!
Smith steps ashore. COOK follows, and then the others from the pinnace – BANKS, DR. SOLANDER, GREEN, PARKINSON, TUPIA, MAGRA, SERGEANT EDGCUMBE… Simultaneously, the LONGBOAT arrives and MANY OTHERS alite.
COOMAN returns with A SHIELD. He and MAREEYANGO again advance on the EUROPEANS, hurling STONES, which they gather as they come. Still advancing, they launch their SPEARS.
The spear from MAREEYANGO impales itself in the ground between PARKINSON’S feet.
BANKS is quick to claim the spear for his own.
BANKS
Well done Parkinson…. our first specimen of New Holland!
A SHOT from SERGEANT EDGCUMBE’S musket finds its mark on MAREEYANGO’S legs.
COOK levels his musket and FIRES!
COOMAN finds some protection behind his SHIELD and replies with ANOTHER SPEAR.
THE TWO WARRIORS are driven back to the huts – retreating by stages backwards, facing their enemy, and shouting frantically for assistance to MOOLA and PADUO back at the huts.
COOMAN & MAREEYANGO (shouting)
Hala, hala, mae!
(Come hither!)
The camp is in disarray, The MEN shouting, the WOMEN hastily snatching up some of their belongings, and trying to shepherd the CHILDREN, who are running about, dashing in and out of the huts, all the while howling horribly.
THE EUROPEANS make a hesitating advance, timed to COOMAN and MAREEYANGO’S retreat, trying to placate the pair.
COOK
Might we capture them, Sergeant?
BANKS (showing COOK the captured fishing spear whose four prongs are smeared with “a greenish kind of gum” (the green scum of seaweed)
Captain! If I’m not mistaken these darts are tipped with poison… attempting their capture may be a foolish risk.
COOK examines the GREENISH GUM on the four-pronged tips of the spear.
COOK
Well, if that is your opinion Mister Banks then let them go.
COOMAN and MAREEYANGO are nearing the huts as the last of the women scatters howling into the bush leaving the camp deserted. They follow, but COOMAN hears the CRY OF A CHILD coming from the huts. He turns back and goes to the rescue. Inside one of the huts he discovers FOUR OF THE YOUNG CHILDREN. Using his shield and some pieces of bark, he attempts to hide their presence. The Europeans are almost upon him. COOMAN escapes into the bush.
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THE HUTS AT THE LANDING PLACE.
THE EUROPEANS examine the deserted CAMP. FISH is still roasting on the remains of the FIRE. PARKINSON is makes a sketch of A HUT.
Drawing by Sydney Parkinson
COOK
No bigger than an oven.
BANKS
And framed with less art, or rather less industry, than any habitation of human beings probably that the world can show!
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THE BUSH
From the shelter of the bush COOMAN watches the Europeans exploring their camp.
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THE DESERTED CAMP.
BANKS, sensing something, throws a glance in the direction of the BUSH.
The blink of an eye, but COOMAN has vanished.
BANKS and TUPIA stop in front of one HUT. A RAINBOW LORIKEET flies in and lands on the hut. It is a pet of the Gweagal clan. TUPIA reaches for the bird. It flies onto his hand.
This bird will be taken on board and returned to England where it will be painted by Moses Griffith in 1772. The earliest known European painting of an Australian bird.
Banks kneels, reaching into the hut, he takes up COOMAN’S SHIELD… discovering as he does TWO OF THE CHILDREN hidden behind…. then TWO MORE OF THE CHILDREN hiding behind A PIECE OF BARK. The children huddle into a tighter pack, wide eyed.
BANKS
Captain…
COOK and MAGRA cross to join Banks.
Cook looks at the children, then casts a look into the bush where the adults disappeared. No one is to be seen.
BANKS
We were fully forty yards from them when we fired. The shot could have done them no material harm. No doubt they will be back to collect their infants.
MAGRA (to Banks)
If we take the children, it’s a sure way to bring them out of hiding.
COOK
Nurse maids we are not Mister Magra. Gentler methods are what Earl Morton would have us try.
From his pocket COOK takes some NAILS and STRUNG BEADS which he tosses into the hut. Banks follows suit, taking from his pocket some pieces of RIBBON and CLOTH and tosses them into the hut.
COOK
We’ll not disturb them. Come away…. but collect up the weapons…all you can find.
They turn away and return to the boats.
PETER BRISCOE gathers the weapons he finds leaning against the several huts and follows the rest of the party, wrestling with his collection of FIFTY SPEARS AND THE SHIELD.
Three of the original confiscated spears
The original confiscated sheild and drawing by John Frederick Miller, 1771 – sometimes subscribed to Sydney Parkinson
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THE BUSH.
COOMAN watches as the weapons are taken away. By now his wounds are bleeding.
He is surprised by A SOUND coming from the bush behind him. ANARDA appears. (One of the women who remained to finish her food gathering.) She is very distraught.
ANARDA (desperate)
My babies! My babies!
(Translation in progress)
COOMAN runs to meet her. He grabs ANARDA, pulls her under cover, and muffles her cries with his hand. He whispers urgently into her ear. Together they watch the Europeans.
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THE LANDING PLACE.
Back at the landing place THE COMPANY stand around examining the FOUR CANOES which belong to the FISHERMEN. PARKINSON sketches the CANOES.
Sydney Parkinson’s drawing of canoes
COOK (looking at the canoes)
Much the worst I ever saw.
BANKS
Little better than their huts.
Tupia shakes his head in disgust.
COOK (moves away and addresses another group)
Well, have you located any water Mister Pickersgill?
PICKERSGILL (master’s mate)
A little Captain, but no near enough for the ship’s need.
COOK
Muster the company then, we’ll cross to the north shore; the people there might be more forthcoming.
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THE SHIP ‘S BOATS.
The loaded boats push offshore.
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THE BUSH.
COOMAN and ANARDA come out of hiding. ANARDA dashes to the CAMPSITE to retrieve her children.
GOOWARRA arrives and does the same.
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THE PINNACE.
The boats are nearing the ship.
BANKS (Journal entry)
“We returned to the ship in order to get rid of our load of lances, and having done that went to that place at the mouth of the harbour where we had seen the people in the morn.”
COOK (Journal entry)
“But when we landed there were no body to be seen. We found here some fresh water which came trinkling down and stood in pools among the rocks; but this was troublesome to come at.”
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Representation only
The routed group have retreated to a small cove which lies south across the peninsula, about three miles from their huts. This is “BOAT HARBOUR”. Archeological evidence clearly shows it to have been a well-used and well frequented campsite. It lies close but outside Cook’s Sketch of Botany Bay. They have joined another group whose camp it is. The combined numbers amount to THIRTY-SIX – 18 MEN, 10 WOMEN & 8 CHILDREN.
(All Dharawal, Gweagal clan people.)
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BOAT HARBOUR
EVENING.
Apart from the women and children is a gathering of NINE DHARAWAL BOAT HARBOUR MEN, together with COOMAN, MAREEYANGO, PADUO and MOOLA.
GEEPA, the clan’s BURGEEN (CLEVER MAN/SORCERER) and THREE BOAT HARBOUR ELDERS are presiding.
A serious silence hangs over the group. They watch as GEEPA performs surgery upon COOMAN’S wounded legs. Using a sharp shell GEEPA extracts a LEAD SHOT. COOMAN takes it from him and examines it carefully. THE SHOT passes from hand to hand around the group, finally returning to the GEEPA, who deposits it with OTHER EXTRACTED SHOT into the SMALL ANIMAL SKIN BAG he wears around his neck.
PADUO
That koori with ’em, he called out.
(Translation in progress)
COOMAN
He’s not koori! He’s not talkin’ any koori language.
MOOLA
Those maiyai don’t talk any koori neither.
MAREEYANGO
All painted up they was! Like they was ready for big ceremony. Red! White!
COOMAN
The ones with them smoking thunder sticks they’re the ones to watch.
MAREEYANGO
We held ’em off for a bit.
PADUO
They was trying to talk with youse.
COOMAN
Where was you when we sung out for youse? Eh? We sung out for youse to come?
PADOU and MOOLA remain silent.
PADUO (to Cooman)
You found out for yourself about them maiyai. Now yer bleeding.
COOMAN
They took all your spears with ’em. Both of youse.
PADUO
What!
ELDER
They took away spears?
COOMAN
Yeah. They pinched the lot of ’em.
General consternation.
COOMAN (to the Elder)
Do you have any fighting spears?
ELDER
We have fighting spears.
GEEPA
They don’t need to come up close to yer. Maiyai don’t fight man up to man. (he extracts another lead shot from the Cooman’s leg and drops it into his bag) You seen it yourself.
MOOLA
They’re clever. (to GEEPA) Maiyai magic might be in them pips.
GEEPA
Don’t you worry about that. My magic is strong too.
MAREEYANGO
They chucked other things at us. Maiyai things we don’t know what. We left ’em.
In the seated women’s group GOOYONG stands up and shouts boldly to the group of men.
GOOYONG
What are you men doin eh?
ELDER
You women mind your kids! Yer lucky they didn’t take ’em from you!
GOOYONG
Never mind that, how are we going to get tucker tomorrow … if we can’t go near our fishin’ grounds?
ELDER
You stay away from there! You camp here! We’ll get plenty tucker tonight. You want them to take you away with them?
A PAIR OF YOUNG GIRLS giggle behind their hands.
ELDER (to the men )
If they’re not gone tomorrow, we’ll chase ’em away proper. We’ll fix ’em up proper if they’re not gone tomorrow. A mob of us will.
PADUO
We want them spears back.
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BOTANY BAY – LANDING PLACE
NIGHT.
THE SHIP at anchor in the bay, with her STERN LANTERN reflecting streams of light across the water towards the SOUTHERN SHORE, where many MOVING LIGHTS are visible.
BANKS (Journal entry)
The fires, fishing fires as we supposed, were seen during the greatest part of the night.
Representation only
The MEN are using BARK TORCHES to collect mussels and catch bream in the shallows. The light mesmerises the fish and they are easily speared or picked up.
End of first day at Botany Bay.
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To be continued in Episode Six