Continent of Smoke
by
Jeff Timbery, Alberta Hornsby, John & Clare MacDonald
Episode Two
20th April 1770
Noon.
THE SHIP ADJACENT PRESENT DAY MERIMBULA.
The distant country rises in gentle sloping hills which have the appearance of the highest fertility, every hill clothed with trees of no mean size.
BANKS, in an optimistic mood, on deck enjoying the serene weather, and viewing the country.
COOK joins him, feeling similarly uplifted. He observes the pleasantly wooded country.
COOK
Very agreeable!
BANKS nods in agreement.
PARKINSON joins them. (A Quaker from Edinburgh.) As they watch, A SINGLE SMOKE rises from out of a wood near the seaside.
PARKINSON (Edinburgh accent)
Look there sir!
BANK
Yes, I see.
(Merimbula – Yuin country)
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LATE AFTERNOON.
THE SHIP ADJACENT TATHRA.
DISTANT COAST.
The SUN is beginning to drop behind the country to the west. SEVERAL SPIRES OF SMOKE now rise along the coast. Gently curling northwards. BANKS, SOLANDER and PARKINSON leaning on the taffrail, their eyes still glued to the coast.
COOK joins the group.
COOK
A certain sign the country is inhabited.
(Yuin country – Djiringanj people)
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21st April
6am
THE SHIP ADJACENT CAPE DROMEDARY.
Dawn light illuminates CAPE DROMEDARY and further inland MOUNT DROMEDARY.
COOK (Journal entry)
“At 6 O’clock we were abreast of a pretty high mountain lying near the shore which on account of its figure I named Mount Dromedary.”
(Mount Dromedary – Gulaga – Yuin country)
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Noon
THE SHIP ADJACENT BATEMAN BAY.
DISTANT COAST and BATEMAN BAY where SMOKE OF FIRES can be seen.
COOK (Journal entry)
“At noon an open bay wherein lay three or four small islands bore NWbW. This bay seemed to be very little sheltered from the sea winds and yet it is the only likely anchoring place I have yet seen upon the coast.”
(Bateman Bay – Yangara – Yuin country)
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5pm
THE SHIP ADJACENT POINT UPRIGHT.
DISTANT COAST and POINT UPRIGHT.
COOK (Journal Entry)
“At five O’clock we were abreast a point of land which on account of its perpendicular cliffs I called Point Upright.”
BANKS (Journal entry)
“At night five fires.”
(Point Upright – Yuin country – Walbunja people)
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22nd April
8am
THE SHIP ADJACENT KIOLOA BEACH.
MAIN DECK.
Gentle breeze at SW. The SHIP is closer now inshore than ever before. BANKS and SOLANDER are on deck. Banks is looking through a telescope at the COASTAL COUNTRY only 4 miles away.
BANKS (to Solander)
……… those large fires, made by the natives to clear the ground for cultivation, which we so frequently saw in the Islands and New Zealand……. where are they here?
SOLANDER
So far they’re absent.
BRISCO (Banks’ servant) arrives with a TRAY, COFFEE POT and TWO CUPS. Brisco holds the tray while Banks pours for himself and Solander.
BANKS
An absence which speaks not much in favour of our future friends… (he pauses) …”the miserablest people in the world!”.
SOLANDER
…. as Dampier would have them.
BANKS
“The Hodmadods of Monomatapa, though a nasty people, yet for wealth are gentlemen to these!”
Solander chuckles.
SOLANDER
“Nullius in verba”!
BRISCO gives Banks an enquiring look.
BANKS (to Brisco)
“On The Word Of No One”…our Royal Society motto!
The fine pleasant weather and a sparkling clarity of air has brought TUPIA, the Polynesian High Priest taken on board at Tahiti, and his boy servant TAHETO and PARKINSON (artist) on deck.
Tupia is bare-chested, without shoes or hat, and wearing European style breeches. His hands are heavily tattooed. He is sitting cross-legged on the deck absorbed in painting the image of Banks and a Māori chief exchanging gifts.
Tupia’s drawing pad lies on the deck in front of him. Taheto lies face down on the deck, resting on his elbows, his face almost over the painting, closely watching his master at work. Parkinson sits on a stool close beside Tupia, his attention also on the artist and his drawing. Parkinson stands up, touches Tupia’s shoulder in a gesture of admiration, and passes across the deck to stand beside BANKS and SOLANDER. Banks lowers his telescope and hands it to Parkinson, who focuses on the coast.
Elsewhere on deck FORBY SUTHERLAND (Able Seaman -29 years), who has been helped up from the sick bay to take the air, is sitting on a camp chair wrapped in a blanket. He clutches a HANDKERCHIEF. As he goes to wipe his mouth, a breath of wind steals the handkerchief from his weak grasp and blows it away across the deck. BANKS puts his foot on it before it goes overboard, then stoops to pick it up. He notices the BLOODSTAINS on the cloth. BANKS brings the handkerchief back to SUTHERLAND. The final stages of consumption has shortened his breath to a painful rasping.
BANKS (to Sutherland)
Good morning Forby.
SUTHERLAND (Orkney Island dialect)
It’s a bonny morn Mister Banks.
BANKS
Indeed it is…. (indicating a PEAK inland) … a remarkable hill eh?
(Pigeon House Hill – Didthul – Yuin country)
SUTHERLAND
Aye.
BANKS
It much resembles those dove houses which are built four square with a small dome at the top.
COOK (Journal entry)
“Which occasioned my giving it the name Pigeon House Hill.”
SUTHERLAND
Things appear nearer here than at home Sir.
BANKS
The Orkneys?
SUTHERLAND
Aye. (indicating Cape Dromedary at a distance astern) By the ship’s run yon headland lies twenty-three leagues, yet I could no’ think it wer more than ten leagues off….it’s my poor self I suspect.
BANKS
No indeed, it’s the clarity of the air here.
Suddenly PARKINSON, who is looking through Banks’s telescope, calls out.
PARKINSON
Why look!… th’ wonder o’ it!… wee folk!
BANKS (crossing to join Parkinson)
Where do you look?
PARKINSON
There on the beach! … (KIOLOA BEACH 4 miles distant) Are they not? … Where their fire begins to kindle … (calls to Cook on the quarterdeck) … Captain!
PARKINSON points Cook’s attention towards the figures. COOK brings up his telescope. On the shoreline, the tiny figures of FOUR PEOPLE are hardly visible.
(Budawang people of the Yuin nation)
BANKS (peering through his glass)
Oh excellent Sydney! …. they’re enormously black!
COOK (who now has a focus)
… if it be their skin…. might it not be their clothes?
BANKS
…….. It’s difficult to distinguish… (passing the telescope to Parkinson)… Here, you’ve a good eye…… I can scarce distinguish whether or not they’re men.
PARKINSON (using the glass)
They’re definitely people sir, and their colour is definitely that of their skin sir, because sir they’re quite naked!
BANKS
Naked?…(to Cook)… He says they’re quite naked! (to Parkinson) Here, let me see.
Banks receives and raises the telescope.
COOK
……. I agree they’re very dark…… I know not whether they be naked.
TUPIA and Taheto join Banks and Parkinson.
PARKINSON (pointing)
People Tupia!
TUPIA (Polynesian accent and little English)
Canoe?
PARKINSON
No canoe Tupia…… perhaps they live upon the produce of the earth…. the coast seems to be unfavourable for fishing.
BANKS (through the telescope)
Perhaps we’re seeing what Dampier would have us see…… their skins coal black, like the Negros of Guinea!
COOK
We might soon have the opportunity to verify that Mister Banks. I have hopes of finding shelter for the ship behind that island. (Brush Island).
BANKS
Excellent Captain!
(Brush Island – Mit Island – Yuin country – Murramarang people)
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The DOGVANE flying at the mast head swings from the SOUTH- SOUTH -WEST registering a change of wind to the EAST.
COOK (Journal entry)
“When we first discovered this island in the morning I was in hopes from its appearance that we should have found shelter for the ship behind it, but when we came to approach it near I did not think that there was even security for a boat to land, but this I believe I should have attempted had not the wind come on shore.”
The HELMSMAN swings the helm hard. The SHIP hauls about and heads back out to sea leaving the island behind.
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(To be continued in Episode Three)