Researching my new release, historical adventure New Zealand: A Novel, I discovered that Christmas dinner for the crew of the Endeavour on December 25th, 1769, was surprisingly good. That’s according to one logbook entry penned by English botanist Joseph Banks who also alluded to heavy drinking by fellow crewmembers that particular Christmas.
The Endeavour, helmed by Captain James Cook, had anchored off Three Kings Islands, in New Zealand’s Far North, during her circumnavigation of the country. What transpired is covered in the following excerpt from my novel…
The crew spent Christmas Day anchored off Three Kings Islands, a small island group that had been discovered by Abel Tasman. For Christmas dinner, the bark’s company enjoyed a meal that passed as goose pie thanks to the marksmanship of Banks who had shot a good number of gannets the previous day.
The meal was so well received that Banks made mention of it in his diary entry that evening. It read:
“Our goose pye was eaten with great approbation and in the evening all hands were as drunk as our forefathers used to be on such an occasion.”
Cook, who was never one for frivolity, didn’t mention the dinner in his logbook. Nor did he make mention of the sorry state of his men the following day. Banks did mention it, however, stating: “All heads ached with yesterday’s debauchery.”
New Zealand: A Novel was launched last week as a Kindle ebook and paperback. First reviews are in! https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan-ebook/dp/B0DPTJTDCQ
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Morcan Books & Films 