Continent of Smoke
by
Jeff Timbery, Alberta Hornsby, John & Clare MacDonald
Episode Six
29th April 1770
FIRST LIGHT
BOTANY BAY. SOUTH SHORE.
A COOKABURRA sitting on a branch throws its head back and broadcasts a LONG LOUD CALL announcing the morning.
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EARLY MORNING
BOTANY BAY – THE HUTS AT THE LANDING PLACE
The HUTS are deserted. COOK and BANKS stand contemplating an EMPTY HUT where the GIFTS of yesterday remain untouched and just as they left them.
BANKS (Journal entry)
We found not the least good effect from our present yesterday.
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THE LANDING PLACE
In the woods, BANKS AND DR SOLANDER, attended by servants BRISCOE, ROBERTS, NICK YOUNG and DOGS (GREYHOUND and SPANIEL “LADY”), are collecting BOTANICAL SPECIMENS. Banks and Solander are engrossed examining a specimen of MOUNTAIN DEVIL (Lambertia formosa).
Close by SERGEANT EDGCUMBE and FOUR ARMED MARINES patrol the general area of THE STREAM/ THE WATERING PLACE where the WATERERS are busy with SHOVELS and WATER CASKS, and the CARPENTERS and their MATES are at work with AXES and SAWS cutting firewood. LIEUTENANT HICKES and MIDSHIPMAN SAUNDERS are in charge.
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LATER IN THE MORNING
BOTANY BAY – QUIBRAY BAY
COOK and BOAT CREW in the PINNACE approaching the shore of QUIBRAY BAY. On seeing the boat SIX MEN flee into the woods, abandoning several small cooking FIRES.
On shore, COOK examines the abandoned fires and the mussels broiling upon them. Around him are HEAPS OF EMPTY OYSTER SHELLS (Ostrea angasi – shell midden).
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NOON
BOTANY BAY & THE LANDING PLACE
A little way offshore, Bank’s SKIFF and the LONGBOAT towing a FLOTILLA OF WATER BARRELS and loaded with the last of the WORK PARTIES head back to the ship.
On shore TWELVE ABORIGINAL MEN – COOMAN, MAREEYANGO, MOOLA, PADUO and EIGHT OTHERS, including the ELDER from the BOAT HARBOUR GROUP – come out of the bush and approach the WATERING PLACE.
The BOATS cease rowing and everyone’s attention locks on the mob on shore.
The ABORIGINAL MEN look up at the ENGLISH COLOURS flying on the FLAGSTAFF erected near the watering place.
They cross to some WATER CASKS, which lie unguarded beside the watering place. They stop.
LONGBOAT CREWMAN
The Captain won’t want to lose them casks.
SECOND CREWMAN
Forwood will have ‘em covered.
ONBOARD THE SHIP, GUNNER FORWOOD waits with his GUN CREW beside one of the deck-mounted four-pounder cannon. Officer of the Watch JOHN GORE has his eye on the mob at the watering place.
Having inspected the CASKS (but not touched them) the TWELVE ABORIGINAL MEN continue down to the FOUR CANOES on the beach. They haul the TWO CANOES belonging to Cooman and Mareeyango up above the high-water mark, the OTHER TWO CANOES they carry away.
COXSWAIN OF THE LONGBOAT
Come to your oars…. ease away!
The LONGBOAT continues rowing out to the ship.
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THE GREAT CABIN
PARKINSON, a specimen of MOUNTAIN DEVIL (Lambertia formosa) beside him, works up his drawing.
Mountain devil (Lambertia formosa)
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LATE AFTERNOON
BOTANY BAY THE LANDING PLACE
On shore, the day’s work at an end, the WATERING PARTY and TWO MARINES are at the water’s edge finishing assembling the filled water barrels into a flotilla to be towed out to the ship.
SIXTEEN WARRIORS, all painted (“having their…faces… and breasts painted white”) and heavily armed with FIGHTING SPEARS and WOOMERAS, appear out of the woods and make a stand one hundred yards away. They are drawn up abreast in a long line. This hastily assembled fighting force has come to deliver a challenge. The impressive sight draws the attention of the Europeans.
TWO WARRIORS step forward from the rest and confront the Europeans. COOMAN is one of the two. His white painted face disguising his identity. The other warrior is an ELDER from the Boat Harbour group.
COOMAN and the ELDER rap their WOOMERAS against their spears, CALLING OUT A CHALLENGE as they do.
LIEUTENANT HICKES and MIDSHIPMAN JONATHAN MUNKHOUSE, both unarmed, leave their companions and advance to meet the two warriors.
COOMAN and the ELDER repeat the challenge and are supported by SOME OF THE OTHER FOURTEEN WARRIORS who similarly rap their spears with their woomeras and call out.
Hickes and Munkhouse halt.
The TWO MARINE GUARDS move to a position where they can provide protection.
HICKES holds up a STRING OF BEADS offering them to the two warriors.
ELDER (to Cooman)
What’s he doing?
(Translation in progress)
COOMAN
It’s his signal for them others to sting us. Those with them smoke sticks.
The TWO MARINES remain watchful.
ELDER (to the Europeans, shaking his bundle of spears)
We will spear you. You will bleed.
HICKES (waving his string of beads in offering)
Would that we could understand him…
MUNKHOUSE
Yes sir, would that it were so. A lamentable circumstance indeed.
HICKES pauses a moment.
MUNKHOUSE
I believe it’s a challenge sir.
HICKES (to Munkhouse)
Well, time will learn them we mean no harm. Come, we’ll leave them be.
HICKES, MUNKHOUSE and the MARINES retire, join the others in the waiting boat, which pushes off towards the ship.
The WARRIORS watch the Europeans depart. Satisfied having successfully seen off the intruders, the WARRIORS retire into the wood.
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THE SHIP
A SAILOR standing in the YAWL alongside the ship hands A BASKET loaded with FISH to ANOTHER SAILOR on DECK.
BANKS (Journal entry)
Myself and the Captain were in a sandy cove on the northern side of the harbour…
COOK (Journal entry)
… where in 3 or 4 hauls with the saine we caught above 300 pounds weight of fish which I caused to be equally divided among the Ships Company.
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NIGHT
THE SHIP. THE GREAT CABIN.
Servants WILLIAM HOWSON and JAMES ROBERTS attend THE COMPANY with a laden platter of assorted SEAFOOD – Leatherjackets (Family Monocanthidae), Old Wives (Enoplosus armatus), Pink snapper (Pagrus auratus) and mussels – and A DECANTER OF BRANDY. Their ferocious appetites apparent from the piles of bones and empty mussel shells heaped on plates around the table.
There are some heavy drinkers amongst them, and tonight is their landfall celebration, made sweeter by the fresh fare.
CLERKE (to the company, at full throttle, glass in hand)
….but the most remarkable thing of all … indeed the most remarkable thing on this whole voyage of ‘remarkable things’… THEY DIDN’T STEAL OUR WATER CASKS! … (roar of laughter round the table) ….the discovery of yet another race of Pacific Island thieves would be more than I could bear! … (accelerating above the laughter) … though perhaps Mister Banks is disappointed?… a specimen of the “New Holland Thief” will not now hang alongside the “Tahitian Thief” and the “New Zealand Thief” in his special collection cabinet! … (laughter).
DR SOLANDER (Swedish accent)
… and within each species, the genus contains an almost endless variety of sub-species … “Quadrant Thief!”… “Musket Thief!” … “Reading glass Thief!” …
Around the table, with increasing hilarity, the men add to the list of the numerous incidents of theft they have endured during their two years at sea.
GREEN
“Compass Thief!”
Surgeon Munkhouse
SURGEON MUNKHOUSE
“Snuff- box Thief!”… “Spy glass Thief!”
MOLINEUX (to Taheto)
“Tarheto Thief!” … Kidnappers Bay named in your honour lad!
Taheto grin registers his delight.
BANKS
“Trouser Thief!”
A big laugh.
CLERKE
“Coat Thief!”…. (the laughter subsides – eyes turn to GORE) … Damme it, forgive me Mister Gore. I didn’t mean to remind you of your unhappy incident.
GORE (American – 38 years)
Thank you, Mister Clerke, … it is as you say, “my unhappy incident”, and not something I can easily forget.
CLERKE
It could have happened to any of us Sir, the thieving had grown intolerable!
GORE
But not so intolerable as to warrant shooting dead the culprit Mister Clerke. If you’ll excuse me Captain, I should observe the level of the tide rise here?
COOK
Well remembered Gore!
GORE leaves the cabin.
CLERKE
Damme my infernal tongue!
BANKS
Not at all, I should say Mister Gore has almost recovered himself.
They drink in silence.
BANKS
Well, the Indians here seem to suffer from the opposite complaint … why would they not accept our presents? … they certainly have need of such things.
COOK
Probably they were afraid to.
BANKS
But that shows an extreme of fear does it not?
HICKES
The two that opposed our landing showed plenty of pluck… and those who made a stand this afternoon, they seemed a determined lot.
No one can supply an answer.
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NIGHT
LOWER DECK
The darkened LOWER DECK, where dim lantern light illuminates the face of the agonized FORBY SUTHERLAND, where he lies in his hammock.
His illness has reached a deadly crisis. SURGEON MUNKHOUSE is in attendance. The SOUND OF LAUGHTER can be heard from the company in the Great Cabin directly above.
SUTHERLAND
We’re a jolly ship tonight, Mister Monkhouse.
MUNKHOUSE (Cumberland accent)
Yes Forby, our full bellies have lifted our spirits … and Mister Clerke had us remembering our voyage …
COOK eases gently into the scene.
SUTHERLAND
Will we be remembered Captain? … for our voyage?
COOK
We will … yes.
SUTHERLAND
Then may I rest content. Might I be laid ashore Captain?
COOK
If that is your wish … it’s a lonely place Forby.
SUTHERLAND
Are there no people?
COOK
Yes, there are people.
SUTHERLAND
Gentle people or cannibal people?
COOK
Shy people.
SUTHERLAND
Then may they remain so … and might I not disturb them.
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LATER THAT NIGHT
SHIP / SOUTH SHORE
A still night, hardly a breath of wind or a sound to be heard. The Ship and her people asleep except for the NIGHT WATCH. On the quarter deck, LIEUTENANT GORE, the OFFICIER OF THE WATCH is reading a book in the light from the SHIP’S LANTERN. The lantern sends a STREAM OF LIGHT across the water of the bay to the SOUTH SHORE, where the BURGEEN (GEEPA) sits crossed legged on the sandstone cliff edging the water. Before him is a BARK VESSEL containing his collection of MUSKET SHOT extracted from the wounded COOMAN. In his hand he holds A TWINE connected to A SHARPENED BONE which itself rests on a stone pointing at the ship. He repeats his CHANT, his piercing spear of thought, singing his CURSE on the ship and its people.
(Chant in process of being written)
On the LOWER DECK FORBY SUTHERLAND lies stricken in the final fatal stages of consumption. The faintest SOUND of the BURGEEN’S CHANT can just be heard.
GORE looks up from his book across to the south shore…then returns to his reading.
End of second day at Botany Bay.
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To be continued in Episode Seven