James Cook
James Cook (eng. James Cook; October 27, 1728, Marton, Yorkshire, England - February 14, 1779, Hawaii) - English naval sailor, explorer, cartographer and discoverer, member Royal Society and a captain in the Royal Navy. He led three expeditions to explore the World Ocean, all around the world. During these expeditions he made a number of geographical discoveries. Explored and mapped little-known and previously rarely visited parts of Newfoundland and the east coast of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, west coast of North America, Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. Thanks to the attention that Cook paid to cartography, many of the maps he compiled were unsurpassed in their accuracy and precision for many decades and served navigators until the second century. half of the 19th century century.
Cook was known for his tolerant and friendly attitude to the indigenous inhabitants of the territories he visited. He made a kind of revolution in navigation, having learned to successfully fight such a dangerous and widespread disease at that time as scurvy. Mortality from it during his voyages was practically reduced to zero. A whole galaxy of famous navigators and explorers took part in his voyages, such as Joseph Banks, William Bligh, George Vancouver, George Dixon, Johann Reingold and Georg Forster.
Childhood and youth
James Cook was born on October 27, 1728 in the village of Marton (South Yorkshire). His father, a poor Scottish farmhand, had four children in addition to James. In 1736 the family moved to the village of Great Ayton, where Cook was sent to local school(now turned into a museum). After five years of study, James Cook begins working on the farm under the supervision of his father, who by that time had received the position of manager. At the age of eighteen, he is hired as a cabin boy for the Hercules Walker coal miner. This is how it begins sea life James Cook.
Carier start
Cook began his sailor's career as a simple cabin boy on the merchant coal brig Hercules, owned by shipowners John and Henry Walker, on the London-Newcastle route. Two years later he was transferred to another Walker ship, the Three Brothers.
There is evidence from Walker's friends about how much time Cook spent reading books. He devoted his free time from work to the study of geography, navigation, mathematics, astronomy, and he was also interested in descriptions of sea expeditions. It is known that Cook left the Walkers for two years, which he spent in the Baltic and off the east coast of England, but returned at the request of the brothers as assistant captain on the Friendship.
Three years later, in 1755, the Walkers offered him command of Friendship, but Cook refused. Instead, on June 17, 1755, he enlisted as a sailor in the Royal Navy and eight days later was assigned to the 60-gun ship Eagle. This fact in his biography perplexes some researchers - the reasons why Cook preferred hard sailor work to the captain's position are unknown. merchant fleet. But a month after admission, Cook becomes a boatswain.
Soon the Seven Years' War began (1756). "Eagle" took part in the blockade of the French coast. It is also known that in May 1757, off the island of Ouessant, the Eagle entered into battle with the French ship Duke of Aquitaine (displacement 1,500 tons, 50 guns). During the pursuit and battle, the Duke of Aquitaine was captured. The Eagle was damaged in that battle and was forced to go to England for repairs.
Upon reaching two years of experience, in 1757, James Cook successfully passed the Sailing Master exam, and on October 27 he was assigned to the ship Solebey under the command of Captain Craig. Cook was twenty-nine years old at this time. With the beginning Seven Years' War he is assigned to the 60-gun ship Pembroke. The Pembroke took part in the blockade of the Bay of Biscay, then in February 1758 it was sent to the North American coast (Canada).
Cook was faced with the most important task, which was key to the capture of Quebec, was to fill the fairway of a section of the St. Lawrence River so that British ships could pass to Quebec. This task included not only drawing the fairway on the map, but also marking navigable sections of the river with buoys. On the one hand, due to the extreme complexity of the fairway, the volume of work was very large, on the other hand, they had to work at night, under fire from French artillery, fighting off night counterattacks, restoring buoys that the French managed to destroy. The successfully completed work enriched Cook with cartographic experience, and was also one of the main reasons why the Admiralty ultimately chose him as its historical choice. Quebec was besieged and then taken. Cook did not take part directly in the hostilities. After the capture of Quebec, Cook was transferred as a master to the flagship Northumberland, which can be regarded as a professional encouragement. Under orders from Admiral Colville, Cook continued mapping the St. Lawrence River until 1762. Cook's charts were recommended for publication by Admiral Colville and were published in the 1765 North American Navigation. Cook returned to England in November 1762.
Shortly after returning from Canada, on December 21, 1762, Cook married Elizabeth Butts. They had six children: James (1763-1794), Nathaniel (1764-1781), Elizabeth (1767-1771), Joseph (1768-1768), George (1772-1772) and Hugh (1776-1793). ). The family lived in the East End of London. Little is known about Elizabeth's life after Cook's death. She lived after his death for another 56 years and died in December 1835 at the age of 93.
The first circumnavigation of the world (1767-1771)
Cook's first (red), second (green) and third (blue) expeditions
Expedition goals
The official purpose of the expedition was to study the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun. However, in secret orders received by Cook, he was instructed to immediately after completing astronomical observations go to the southern latitudes in search of the so-called Southern Continent (also known as Terra Incognita). Considering that there was a fierce struggle between world powers for new colonies, the following assumption is very likely: astronomical observations served as a screen for the Admiralty to cover the search for new colonies. Also, the purpose of the expedition was to establish the coasts of Australia, especially its eastern coast, which was completely unexplored.
Expedition composition
The following reasons can be identified that influenced the Admiralty’s choice in favor of Cook:
Cook was a sailor, and therefore subordinate to the Admiralty, which needed its own man as the head of the expedition. It was for this reason that Alexander Dalrymple, who also claimed this title, was disadvantageous to the Admiralty.
Cook was not just a sailor, but an experienced sailor.
Even among experienced sailors, Cook stood out for his extensive experience in cartography and navigation, as evidenced by his successful work in measuring the fairway of the St. Lawrence River. This experience was confirmed by the actual admiral (Colville), who, recommending Cook's work for publication, described Cook as follows: “Knowing from experience the talent of Mr. Cook and his abilities, I consider him sufficiently qualified for the work that he performed, and for the largest enterprises of the same kind."
The expedition was allocated the Endeavor, a small ship belonging to the class of so-called “coal miners” (so named because ships of this class were mainly used for transporting coal), with a characteristically shallow draft, converted specifically for the expedition.
The botanists were Karl Solander and Joseph Banks, a member of the Royal Society and its future president, who was also very wealthy man. Artists: Alexander Buchan and Sydney Parkinson. Astronomer Green was to carry out observations with Cook. The ship's doctor was Dr. Monkhouse.
Progress of the expedition
Reconstruction of Endeavor. Photo
Image of a New Zealand pirogue from Cook's Journal, 1769, artist unknown
From left to right: Daniel Solander, Joseph Banks, James Cook, John Hawksford and Lord Sandwich. Painting. Author - John Hamilton Mortimer, 1771
On August 26, 1768, Endeavor left Plymouth and reached the shores of Tahiti on April 10, 1769. Fulfilling orders from the Admiralty requiring “to maintain friendship with the natives by all means,” Cook established strict discipline in the communication of the expedition members and the ship’s crew with the natives. It was strictly forbidden to enter into conflicts with local residents or use violence. Any cases of violation of this order were severely punished. Fresh food for the expedition was obtained through exchange for European goods. Such behavior of the British, albeit dictated by purely pragmatic considerations (it was simply unprofitable to incite excessive self-hatred), was nonsense at that time - the Europeans, as a rule, achieved their goals with the use of violence, robbing and killing the aborigines (there were also cases of wanton killings) . For example, Wallis, Cook's compatriot, who visited Tahiti shortly before him, in response to the refusal to supply his ship with food for free, fired at Tahitian villages with naval artillery. But the peaceful policy bore fruit - it was possible to establish an agreement with the islanders a good relationship, without which observation of Venus would be seriously difficult.
In order to ensure control over the coast, where observations were to be carried out, a fort was built, surrounded by three sides a rampart, in places a palisade and a ditch, protected by two cannons and six falconets, with a garrison of 45 people. On the morning of May 2, it was discovered that the only quadrant, without which the experiment was impossible, had been stolen. By the evening of the same day, the quadrant was found.
From June 7 to 9, the team was busy heeling the ship. On July 9, shortly before sailing, Marines Clement Webb and Samuel Gibson deserted. Faced with the reluctance of the islanders to contribute to the capture of the deserters, Cook took hostage all the most significant leaders of the area and put forward the return of the fugitives as a condition for their release. The leaders were released when, with the help of local residents, the soldiers were returned to the ship.
After making astronomical observations, Cook headed to the shores of New Zealand, taking with him a local chief named Tupia, who knew the nearby islands well and, in addition, could serve as a translator, and his servant Tiata. It was not possible to establish good relations with the aborigines of New Zealand, despite the emphasized peacefulness of the British. The expedition had to participate in several skirmishes, during which the New Zealanders suffered some losses.
Continuing to move along west bank, Cook found a bay very convenient for anchorage. In this bay, which he named Queen Charlotte Bay, the Endeavor was undergoing repairs: the ship was pulled ashore and re-caulked. Here, on the shore of Queen Charlotte Bay, a discovery was made - having risen to a hill, Cook saw the strait dividing New Zealand into two islands. This strait was named after him (Cook Strait or Cook Strait).
Image of a kangaroo, from illustrations for the journal of the Endeavour's voyage
In April 1770, Cook approached the eastern coast of Australia. On the shore of the bay, in the waters of which Endeavor stopped, the expedition managed to find many previously unknown species of plants, so Cook called this bay Botanical. From Botany Bay, Cook headed northwest along the east coast of Australia.
On June 11, the ship ran aground, seriously damaging the hull. Thanks to the tide and the measures taken to lighten the ship (spare rigging parts, ballast and guns were thrown overboard), the Endeavor was able to be refloated. However, the ship began to quickly fill with water through the damaged side plating. In order to block the flow of water, canvas was placed under the hole, thus the flow of sea water was reduced to an acceptable level. Nevertheless, the Endeavor was in need of serious repairs, since in its current position, uninterrupted operation of the pumping units was required to keep the ship afloat, not to mention the fact that it was simply dangerous to continue sailing with a huge hole in the side, barely covered by the sail. And Cook begins to look for a place where it would be safe to stand for repairs. After 6 days such a place was found. The Endeavor was pulled ashore and the holes were repaired. It soon became clear that the ship was cut off from the sea by the Great Barrier Reef, so the expedition was locked in narrow strip water between the Australian coast and the Reef, dotted with shoals and underwater rocks.
Rounding the Reef, we had to go north 360 miles. We had to move slowly, constantly throwing the lot, and the incoming water had to be pumped out of the hold without stopping. In addition, scurvy began on the ship. But Cook continued to follow this path, ignoring the gaps that appeared from time to time in the solid wall of the Reef. The fact is that the coast, gradually moving away from the Great Barrier Reef, could one day be inaccessible for observation from open sea, which did not suit Cook at all, who wanted to keep the Australian coast before his eyes. This persistence bore fruit - continuing to follow between the Reef and the coast, Cook came across a strait between New Guinea and Australia (at that time they did not know whether New Guinea island or part of the Australian mainland).
Cook sent the ship through this strait to Batavia (the old name of Jakarta). In Indonesia, malaria entered a ship. In Batavia, where the Endeavor arrived in early January, the disease assumed the character of an epidemic. Tupia and Tiatu also became victims of malaria. The ship was immediately put into repairs, immediately after which Cook left Batavia with its unhealthy climate. However, people continued to die.
On the island of Panaitan, dysentery was added to malaria, which from then on became the main cause of death. When the Endeavor entered the port of Cape Town on March 14, there were 12 people left on the ship capable of working. The losses in personnel were extremely high; on the way from Batavia to Cape Town alone, 22 crew members died (mainly from dysentery), as well as several civilians, including astronomer Green. To make further voyage possible, the crew was supplemented. On July 12, 1771, the expedition returned to England.
Results of the first expedition
The main stated goal - observing the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun - was completed, and the results of the experiment, despite the inaccuracies of measurements caused by the imperfection of the equipment of that time, were subsequently used (together with four more similar observations from other points on the planet) for a completely accurate calculation distances from the Earth to the Sun.
The second task - the discovery of the Southern Continent - was not completed, and, as is now known, could not have been completed by Cook during his first voyage. (The southern continent was discovered by Russian sailors Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev in 1820).
The expedition also proved that New Zealand is two independent islands separated by a narrow strait (Cook Strait), and not part unknown continent, as was previously believed. It was possible to map several hundred miles of the eastern coast of Australia, which had been completely unexplored until then. A strait was opened between Australia and New Guinea. Botanists have collected a large collection of biological samples.
Second circumnavigation of the world (1772-1774)
In 1772, the Admiralty began preparations for a second expedition to Pacific Ocean.
Expedition goals
The specific objectives that the Admiralty set for Cook's second expedition are unknown. It is only known that the tasks of the expedition included continuing the exploration of the southern seas. Most definitely, Cook's persistent attempts to penetrate as far south as possible were aimed at finding the Southern Continent. It is unlikely that Cook acted In a similar way based only on personal initiative, therefore it seems very likely that the discovery of the Southern Continent was one of the goals of the expedition, although nothing is known about such plans by the Admiralty.
The second expedition of J. Cook (1772-1775) was associated with geographical and political problems, put on the agenda at the initial stage of European expansion into the seas of the southern hemisphere. The organization of Cook's second expedition, carried out after returning to his homeland as a captain, was associated with the great activity that the French showed in the southern seas at that time. At least four French expeditions were sent in the late sixties to search for the southern mainland. They are associated with the names of Bougainville, Surville, Marion du Fresne, Kerguelen. The French were also not prompted to search for the Southern Continent. scientific interests. The initiative came from the merchant French East India Company, which, of course, cared only about its own enrichment; It was she who equipped Surville's expedition in the same way as in the first half of the 18th century - Bouvet's expedition, which Cook mentions. The results of these French expeditions (except for the Bougainville expedition) in London were not yet known and were all the more alarmed. It was decided to send two ships (the French sent 2-3 ships together) and put Captain Cook at the head of the new expedition, whose successes made a huge impression in England. The Admiralty was in such a hurry with this matter that Cook was given, after compiling a detailed report on the first voyage, only three weeks of rest (in December 1771) - after a three-year voyage.
Of course, the Royal Society had a hand in this - it was considered a semi-governmental organization and represented powerful force in society. Undoubtedly, Cook's own position was far from passive in this matter: like all great pioneers, once he had tasted the joy and satisfaction of penetrating into the unknown, he would never rest until he had taken that path again. There is no doubt that the leading geographers of the time, especially Alexander Dalrymple, who continued to believe in his idea of the Southern Continent, would have rushed to organize a second expedition. But everyone understands that only the Lords of the Admiralty really made decisions. They thought of the possibility that Cook might actually come across the mythical Southern Continent, or some other country or island hitherto undiscovered, and annex it with his usual efficiency to the British Crown; an intriguingly pleasant and not at all impossible thought, since the South Seas remained largely unexplored. It is more likely that they told Cook that he must go on another heroic voyage of discovery - no matter in which direction he went - which would bring new confidence, honor and glory to himself and his country, and to them, the Lords of the Admiralty. . In support of this point of view, it should be noted that on the second journey, the most terrible one ever undertaken, Cook received no special instructions. It may be noted in passing that no one would ever undertake such a voyage again, because when Cook completed it there was little left to discover in the high latitudes of the southern ocean. There is no doubt that Cook was given carte blanche as to where he was to sail and what he was to do.
Cook himself describes his instructions in his own diaries as follows:
On July 3, Resolution met Adventure in the Plymouth Canal. The evening before, we had a meeting with Lord Sandwich in the waters of the canal. On the yacht Augusta, accompanied by the frigate Glory and the sloop Azard, he toured the Admiralty shipyards.
We saluted him with seventeen shots. Lord Sandwich and Sir Hugh Pelliser visited the Resolution and gave new, this time final, proof of their concern for our safe departure. They wanted to personally verify that the ship was equipped for long voyage in full accordance with my requirements.
At Plymouth I received instructions signed on June 25th. This instruction required me to take command of the Adventure, immediately proceed to the island of Madeira, stock up on wine there and continue on to the Cape of Good Hope. Having replenished our supplies there with everything necessary for further navigation, I had to go south in search of Cape Sirconcincion, which, according to Bouvet, was located at 54° S. latitude. and 11°20′ E.
Having discovered this cape, I had to establish whether it was part of the southern continent (the existence of which has long been debated by navigators and geographers) or the tip of a relatively small island.
In the first case, the newly discovered lands had to be examined in the most detailed manner, keeping in mind the needs of navigation practice and trade and the significance of this kind of research for science. If these lands turned out to be inhabited, I had to determine the size of the native population, collect information about the character, morals and customs of the inhabitants and enter into friendly relations with them. For this purpose, it was necessary to generously distribute gifts and attract the natives to trade operations. In all circumstances, local residents should be treated with care and consideration.
I had to make every effort to open up new territories in the south, following either the east or the westward, at my sole discretion. It was necessary to stick to the highest latitudes and sail to south pole as long as our supplies, the health of the crew and the condition of the ships themselves allow it. Under any circumstances, it was necessary to have on board a reserve supply of food sufficient for a safe return to their homeland in England.
In the second case, if Cape Circoncincion turned out to be only part of the island, I had to accurately determine its position. Then, whether I found it or not, I had to head south while there was still hope for the discovery of the Southern Continent. Then I had to head east and explore the unexplored parts of the southern hemisphere in search of as yet undiscovered lands.
Sailing in high latitudes, perhaps closer to the south pole, I had to circumnavigate globe, return to the Cape of Good Hope, and from there proceed to Speedhead.
I could, if sailing at high latitudes at an unfavorable time of year turned out to be dangerous, temporarily return to a pre-selected point located further north in order to give rest to people and repair ships. However, the instructions required that from this point the ships should again head south at the first opportunity. If the Resolution had died en route, the voyage should have continued on the Adventure.
I gave a copy of these instructions to Captain Furneaux for his guidance and strict execution. In the event of an unexpected separation of the ships, I determined points for the next and subsequent meetings: the first meeting was to take place on the island of Madeira, the second in Porto Praia on the island of Santiago, the third at the Cape of Good Hope, the fourth off the coast of New Zealand.
During our stay in Plymouth, astronomers Wahls and Bailey made observations on Drake Island to verify the ship's chronometers. They found that Drake Island lies at 50°21’30″N. and 4°20′W The Greenwich meridian was accepted by us as the initial one, and longitudes were subsequently measured from it both in the east and in western hemisphere, up to 180°.
Expedition composition
The main candidates for the position of leader of the expedition were James Cook and Joseph Banks. It is known that during preparations for the expedition, disagreements arose between the Admiralty and Banks, as a result of which Banks refused to participate in the expedition. James Cook again became the leader of the expedition.
The expedition was allocated two ships - the Resolution with a displacement of 462 tons, which was assigned the role of flagship, and the Adventure, which had a displacement of 350 tons. Cook himself was the captain on the Resolution, and Tobias Furneaux on the Adventure. The lieutenants on the Resolution were: John Cooper, Richard Pickersgill and Charles Clerk.
The expedition included naturalists Johann Reinhold and Georg Forster (father and son), astronomers William Wells and William Bailey, and artist William Hodges.
Progress of the expedition
"Resolution" and "Adventure" in Matavai Bay (Tahiti). Painting.
"Resolution". Painting. Author - John Murray, 1907
On July 13, 1772, the ships left Plymouth. In Cape Town, where they arrived on October 30, 1772, the botanist Anders Sparrman joined the expedition. On November 22, the ships left Cape Town, heading south.
For two weeks, Cook searched for the so-called Circumcision Island, the land that Bouvet first saw, but could not accurately determine its coordinates. The island was supposedly approximately 1,700 miles away south of the cape Good Hope. The search turned up nothing, and Cook went further south.
On January 17, 1773, the ships crossed (for the first time in history) the Antarctic Circle. On February 8, 1773, during a storm, the ships found themselves out of line of sight and lost each other. The captains' actions after this were as follows.
Cook cruised for three days trying to find the Adventure. The search turned out to be fruitless and Cook set the Resolution on a course southeast to the 60th parallel, then turned east and remained on this course until March 17. After this, Cook headed for New Zealand. The expedition spent 6 weeks at an anchorage in Tumanny Bay, exploring this bay and restoring strength, after which it moved to Charlotte Bay - a meeting place previously agreed upon in case of loss.
Furneaux moved to the east coast of the island of Tasmania in order to establish whether Tasmania is part of the Australian mainland or an independent island, but was unsuccessful in this, mistakenly deciding that Tasmania was part of Australia. Furneaux then led the Adventure to the rendezvous point in Charlotte Bay.
On June 7, 1773, the ships left Charlotte Bay and headed west. During the winter months, Cook wanted to explore the little-explored areas of the Pacific Ocean adjacent to New Zealand. However, due to an exacerbation of scurvy on Adventure, which was caused by violations of the established diet, I had to visit Tahiti. In Tahiti, a large amount of fruit was included in the diet of the teams, and thus it was possible to cure all scurvy patients.
After Tahiti, Cook visited the island of Huahine, where he managed to purchase about 300 pigs. Despite the fact that excellent relations were established with the islanders and their leader, some members of the expedition were attacked by intruders on this island. So, on September 6, Sparman was robbed and beaten, and Cook himself was threatened with attack. On September 7, just before sailing, Omai, a resident of the nearby island of Uletea, where Cook was going immediately after Huahine, joined the expedition.
Uletea was seen in the evening of the same day. So many pigs were purchased from this island that the total number, according to Cook's estimates, reached 400 head. On Uletea, Cook took with him another islander named Edideus.
The next islands Cook visited were Eua and Tongatabu, whose inhabitants so impressed Cook with their friendliness and trust that Cook named these islands, together with a third island located nearby, the Friendship Islands. This name, which subsequently lost its official status, is still used today.
Captain James Cook - explorer, explorer and cartographer postage stamp New Zealand, 1940,
Off the coast of New Zealand, where Cook went after the Friendship Islands, the ships were caught in a storm and separated again. After waiting out the storm in Cook Strait, the Resolution returned to Charlotte Bay, the agreed meeting place, but the Adventure was not there yet. During the three-week wait, the British witnessed scenes of cannibalism among the locals.
Without waiting for the Adventure, Cook moved south, leaving a note on the shore for Captain Furneaux. In it, Cook outlined the places he was going to visit after returning from polar seas, and suggested that Furneaux either try to meet or return to England. The Adventure arrived in Charlotte Bay a week after Cook's departure. On December 17, 1773, an emergency occurred - eight sailors, led by two boatswains, sent ashore for fresh vegetables, were killed and eaten by New Zealanders. Captain Furneaux decides (perhaps influenced by what happened the day before) to return to England. The very next day (December 18), Furneaux leaves New Zealand and heads to Cape Town. Having replenished the food supply and left a note for Cook, Furneaux returns to England.
From Charlotte Bay, without waiting for Furneaux, Cook set off for the polar waters and on December 21, 1773 crossed the Antarctic Circle for the second time. On January 30, 1774, when the Resolution reached 71° 10′ S, the path was blocked by a continuous field of pack ice. It was the most southern point, which Cook managed to achieve throughout his travels.
Having visited Easter Island (March 12, 1774), the Marquesas Islands (April 7, 1774), the Resolution again approached the shores of Tahiti on April 22, 1774. Here Cook witnesses the Tahitians preparing for war with the inhabitants of the neighboring island of Moorea. The expedition was particularly impressed by the Tahitian navy, which is described in Cook's journal as follows:
The fleet consisted of 160 military ships and 150 ships intended for the transport of food supplies. Warships ranged from 40 to 50 feet in length. Above their bow there are platforms where warriors stood in full armor. The oarsmen sat below between the pillars supporting the platforms, one person per pillar. Thus, these platforms were adapted only for combat. Vessels for transporting food supplies are much smaller and do not have platforms. On large ships there were forty people, and on small ships - eight. I calculated that the Tahitian navy employed a total of 7,700 people, but many officers considered this figure to be an understatement. All the ships were decorated with multi-colored flags and presented a majestic spectacle that we did not expect to see in these seas. Leading the way was the admiral's ship, consisting of two large warships joined together. The fleet commander, Admiral Tovga, was riding on it, old man with a handsome, courageous face.
After Tahiti, Cook visited the islands of Huahine and Raiatea, the Friendship Islands. On the Fiji Islands, the expedition endured several skirmishes with the aborigines. On the island of Tanna (Fiji Islands) food supplies were replenished.
On September 3, 1774, New Caledonia was discovered. On October 18, 1774, Cook anchored for the third time in Charlotte Bay and remained there until November 10.
On November 10, 1774, the expedition headed east across the Pacific Ocean, reaching the Strait of Magellan on December 17. Already in the Atlantic Ocean, South Georgia was discovered, but this time it was not possible to reach Antarctica.
On March 21, 1775, Cook returned to Cape Town for repairs, where he received a note left for him by Captain Furneaux. From Cape Town the Resolution sailed straight to England and entered Spithead on July 30, 1775.
Third circumnavigation of the world (1776-1779)
Expedition goals
The main goal set by the Admiralty before Cook's third expedition was the discovery of the so-called Northwest Passage - a waterway crossing the North American continent and connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Expedition composition
The expedition, as before, was allocated two ships - the flagship Resolution (displacement 462 tons, 32 guns), on which Cook made his second voyage, and Discovery with a displacement of 350 tons, which had 26 guns. The captain on the Resolution was Cook himself, on the Discovery it was Charles Clerk, who participated in Cook's first two expeditions. John Gore, James King, and John Williamson were first, second, and third mates respectively on the Resolution. On Discovery the first mate was James Burney and the second mate was John Rickman. John Webber worked as an artist on the expedition.
Progress of the expedition
Statue of James Cook, Waimia, Fr. Kauai (Hawaiian Islands)
Inscription on back side Captain James Cook Memorial, Waimia, Fr. Kauai (Hawaiian Islands)
Obelisk dedicated to James Cook in Carnel (a suburb of Sydney)
The ships left England separately: the Resolution left Plymouth on July 12, 1776, the Discovery on August 1. On his way to Cape Town, Cook visited the island of Tenerife. In Cape Town, where Cook arrived on October 17, the Resolution was put in for repairs due to the unsatisfactory condition of the side plating. Discovery, which arrived in Cape Town on 1 November, was also repaired.
On December 1, the ships left Cape Town. On December 25 we visited Kerguelen Island. On January 26, 1777, the ships approached Tasmania, where they replenished their supplies of water and firewood.
From New Zealand, the ships set sail for Tahiti, but due to headwinds, Cook was forced to change course and visit the Friendship Islands first. Cook arrived in Tahiti on August 12, 1777.
On December 7, 1777, the ships moved to North hemisphere, the equator was crossed on December 22. Two days later, on December 24, Christmas Island was discovered. While on this island, the expedition observed a solar eclipse.
On January 18, 1778, the Hawaiian Islands were discovered and named by Cook the Sandwich Islands after one of the Lords of the Admiralty (this name did not stick).
The expedition stayed in Hawaii until February 2, restoring strength and preparing for sailing in northern latitudes, then moved northeast, towards west coast North America. On this route, the ships encountered a storm and received partial damage (Resolution, in particular, lost its mizzenmast).
On March 30, 1778, the ships began repairs in the long and narrow Nootka Sound, jutting out from the Pacific Ocean into Vancouver Island.
On April 26, having completed repairs, they left Nootka Sound and headed north along the North American coast. Off the coast of Alaska, however, they had to stop again for repairs, as the Resolution was leaking heavily.
In early August, the ships passed through the Bering Strait, crossed the Arctic Circle and entered the Chukchi Sea. Here they came across a continuous ice field. It was impossible to continue the road north, winter was approaching, so Cook turned the ships around, intending to spend the winter in more southern latitudes.
On October 2, 1778, Cook reached the Aleutian Islands, here he met Russian industrialists who provided him with their map for study. The Russian map turned out to be significantly more complete map Cook, it contained islands unknown to Cook, and the outlines of many lands, drawn only approximately by Cook, were displayed on it with a high degree of detail and accuracy. It is known that Cook redrew this map and named the strait separating Asia and America after Bering.
On October 24, 1778, the ships left the Aleutian Islands and reached the Hawaiian Islands on November 26, but a suitable anchorage for the ships was found only on January 16, 1779. The inhabitants of the islands - the Hawaiians - concentrated around the ships in large quantities; Cook in his notes estimated their number at several thousand. Later it became known that the high interest and special attitude of the islanders towards the expedition was explained by the fact that they mistook Cook for one of their gods. The good relations that were initially established between the members of the expedition and the Hawaiians, however, began to quickly deteriorate; Every day the number of thefts committed by Hawaiians increased, and the clashes that arose due to attempts to return stolen property became increasingly heated.
Feeling that the situation was heating up, Cook left the bay on February 4, but a storm that began soon caused serious damage to the Resolution's rigging and on February 10 the ships were forced to return for repairs (there was no other anchorage nearby). The sails and parts of the rigging were taken ashore for repairs. Meanwhile, the attitude of the Hawaiians towards the expedition became openly hostile. Many armed people appeared in the area. The number of thefts has increased. On February 13, pliers were stolen from the deck of the Resolution. An attempt to return them was unsuccessful and ended in an open clash.
The next day, February 14, the longboat from the Resolution was stolen. In order to return the stolen property, Cook decided to take Kalaniopa, one of the local leaders, on board as a hostage. Having landed on shore with a group of armed men, consisting of ten Marines Led by Lieutenant Phillips, he went to the leader's home and invited him onto the ship. Having accepted the offer, Kalaniopa followed the British, but at the very shore he refused to follow further, presumably succumbing to the persuasion of his wife. Meanwhile, several thousand Hawaiians gathered on the shore and surrounded Cook and his people, pushing them back to the water itself. A rumor spread among them that the British had killed several Hawaiians (Captain Clerk's diaries mention one native killed by Lieutenant Rickman's men shortly before the events described), and these rumors, as well as Cook's ambiguous behavior, pushed the crowd to begin hostile actions. In the ensuing battle, Cook himself and four sailors died; the rest managed to retreat to the ship. There are several conflicting eyewitness accounts of those events, and from them it is difficult to judge what actually happened. With a reasonable degree of certainty, we can only say that panic began among the British, the crew began to randomly retreat to the boats, and in this confusion Cook was killed by the Hawaiians (presumably with a spear to the back of the head).
From Lieutenant King's diary:
“When the Hawaiians saw Cook fall, they let out a cry of victory. His body was immediately dragged ashore, and the crowd surrounding him, greedily snatching daggers from each other, began to inflict many wounds on him, since everyone wanted to take part in his destruction.”
Thus, on the evening of February 14, 1779, Captain James Cook was killed by the inhabitants of the Hawaiian Islands. Captain Clerk emphasizes in his diaries: if Cook had abandoned his defiant behavior in the face of a crowd of thousands and had not started shooting Hawaiians, the accident could have been avoided. According to Lieutenant Phillips, the Hawaiians did not intend to prevent the British from returning to the ship, much less attack, and the large crowd that had gathered was explained by their concern for the fate of the king (not unreasonable, if we bear in mind the purpose for which Cook invited Kalaniopa to the ship).
From the diaries of Captain Clerk:
Considering the whole affair as a whole, I am firmly convinced that it would not have been carried to extremes by the natives had not Captain Cook made an attempt to punish a man surrounded by a crowd of islanders, relying entirely on the fact that, if necessary, the Marine soldiers would be able to fire from muskets to scatter the natives. This opinion was undoubtedly based on extensive experience of communication with various Indian peoples in various parts light, but today's unfortunate events have shown that in in this case this opinion turned out to be wrong.
There is good reason to suppose that the natives would not have gone so far if, unfortunately, Captain Cook had not fired upon them: a few minutes before, they began to clear the way for the soldiers, so that they could reach that place on shore, against which the boats stood (I have already mentioned this), thus giving Captain Cook the opportunity to get away from them.
After Cook's death, the position of head of the expedition passed to the captain of the Discovery, Charles Clerk. The clerk tried to obtain the release of Cook's body peacefully. Having failed, he ordered military operation, during which the troops landing under the cover of cannons captured and burned to the ground coastal settlements and threw the Hawaiians back into the mountains. After this, the Hawaiians delivered to the Resolution a basket with ten pounds of meat and a human head without lower jaw. On February 22, 1779, Cook's remains were buried at sea. Captain Clerk died of tuberculosis, which he suffered from throughout the voyage. The ships returned to England on October 7, 1780.
Expedition results
The main goal of the expedition - the discovery of the Northwest Passage - was not achieved. The Hawaiian Islands, Christmas Island and some other islands were discovered. He visited about 35 islands and cities
Interesting Facts
The command module was named after Endeavor, the first ship commanded by James Cook. spaceship Apollo 15. During his flight, the fourth landing of people on the Moon was carried out. One of the “space shuttles” received the same name.
Regarding the popular myth associated with the death of James Cook, the Russian poet and singer Vladimir Vysotsky wrote a humorous song “One Scientific Riddle, or Why the Aborigines Ate Cook.”
An archipelago in the Pacific Ocean was named after the traveler; The archipelago received its name from the Russian navigator Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern, since Cook himself stayed on the islands Southern group in the period from 1773 to 1775.
The famous English sailor, explorer and discoverer - James Cook was a captain in the Royal Navy and the Royal Society. This amazing man put many places on the map. Cook devoted a huge amount of time to cartography. Therefore, almost all maps compiled by a meticulous sailor are accurate and accurate. For many years, maps served sailors until about the 19th century.
Childhood and youth
James was born on October 27, 1728 in the village of Marton. Based historical information, the father was a poor Scottish farm laborer. When James was 8 years old, the family of the future sailor moved to Great Ayton, where he entered the local school. Today the school has become a museum in honor of James Cook.
After 5 years of study, the boy began working on a farm, where his father received the position of manager. When James turned 18, he was hired as a cabin boy on the Hercules. This was the beginning naval career young and ambitious Cook.
Trips
James worked on ships owned by John and Henry Walker. IN free time the young man independently studied geography, navigation, mathematics and astronomy by reading books. The traveler Cook left for 2 years, which he spent in the Baltic and the east of England. At the request of the Walker brothers, he decided to return to the position of assistant captain on the Friendship. After 3 years, James was offered to take command of the ship, but he refused.
Instead, Cook enlists as a sailor in the Royal Navy and after 8 days is assigned to the ship Eagle. This biographical fact is puzzling: it is not clear why the young man chose the hard work of a sailor over the captain's post. But after a month, Cook takes over as boatswain.
Soon, in 1756, the Seven Years' War begins, the ship Eagle takes part in the blockade of the French coast. As a result of the battle with the ship "Duke of Aquitaine", "Eagle" receives a victory, but is forced to leave for repairs in England. In 1757, James passed the captain's exam, and on his 29th birthday he was assigned to the ship Solebey.
When Quebec was taken, James was transferred to the position of captain on the ship Northumberland, which was considered a professional promotion. Under the admiral's orders, Cook continued mapping the St. Lawrence River until 1762. Maps published in 1765.
Three expeditions
James led three voyages, they are an invaluable contribution to the idea of \u200b\u200bthe world.
The first expedition lasted three years, the official purpose of which was to study the passage of Venus through the Sun. But secret orders ordered Cook, after completing his observations, to go in search of the Southern Continent.
James Cook's expeditions: first (red), second (green) and third (blue) Since at that time world states were fighting for new colonies, historians suggest that astronomical observations are a screen designed to cover up the search for new colonies. The expedition had another goal - to establish the shores of the east coast of Australia.
As a result of the expedition, the goal was achieved, but the information obtained was not useful due to inaccurate indicators. The second task, the discovery of the mainland, was not completed. The southern continent was discovered by Russian sailors in 1820. It has been proven that New Zealand is two separate islands that are separated by a strait (note - Cook Strait). It was possible to bring in part of the eastern coast of Austria, which had not been explored before.
Second voyage specific goal posed to James are unknown. The task of the expedition is to explore the southern seas. We can say with confidence that progress in south side accompanied by James' desire to find the Southern Continent. Most likely, Cook acted not only on the basis of personal initiatives.
The goal of the third expedition was to open the North-Western Waterway, but it was not achieved. But Hawaii and Christmas Island were discovered.
Personal life
James Cook returned to England in 1762. After this, on December 21 of the same year, the sailor married Elizabeth Butts. They had six children, James and Elizabeth lived in east London. The first child, who was named James, lived to be 31 years old. The lives of the rest are relatively short: two children lived to be 17 years old, one child lived to be 4, and two more did not live even a year.
The deaths, one after another, struck Mrs. Cook. After the death of her husband, Elizabeth lived another 56 years, dying at the age of 93. His wife admired James and measured everything by his honor and moral convictions. When Elizabeth wanted to show disapproval, she said that "Mr. Cook would never do that." Before her death, Mrs. Cook tried to destroy personal papers and correspondence with her beloved husband, believing that the contents were too sacred for prying eyes. She was buried in the family vault in Cambridge.
Death
During its third and last expedition, January 16, 1779, James landed in the Hawaiian Islands. The inhabitants of the island concentrated around the ships. The navigator estimated them at several thousand; the Hawaiians accepted Cook as their God. At first, good relations were established between the crew and the residents, but the number of thefts committed by the Hawaiians increased. The clashes that arose became increasingly heated.
Feeling the tension in the situation, the crew left the bay on February 4, but the ships suffered serious damage due to the storm. On February 10, the ships were forced to return, but the attitude of the Hawaiians was already openly hostile. On February 13, pincers were stolen from the deck. The return attempt was unsuccessful and ended in a collision.
In the morning next day The longboat was stolen, Cook wanted to return the property by trying to take the leader hostage. When James, surrounded by his men, led the leader on board, he refused to go right at the shore. At this point, rumors spread among the Hawaiians that the British were killing local residents, provoking hostilities. Captain James Cook and four sailors died at the hands of the Hawaiians during these events on February 14, 1779.
Memory
As a tribute to the memory of the great sailor James Cook:
- Cook Strait, which divides New Zealand, was discovered by James in 1769. Before the discovery of the sailor Abel Tasman, it was considered a bay.
- An archipelago in the Pacific Ocean is named after the sailor.
One of the Cook Islands - The spacecraft module was named after Cook's first vessel. During the flight, the fourth landing of people on the Moon was carried out.
- The monument to James Cook was unveiled in 1932, on August 10th, in Victoria Square in Christchurch. The idea to immortalize the great navigator belongs to local bookmaker and philanthropist Matthew Barnett. He organized the competition project, and then independently paid for the work of the talented sculptor William Thesebey and donated the monument to the city.
Monument to James Cook in Christchurch, New Zealand - A crater on the Moon that was named after a sailor in 1935.
- dedicated a small comic essay to the captain.
Now Cook's legacy is his diaries, which are of particular interest to researchers today. James's biography has a lot of colorful episodes, and the captain himself is rightfully considered an outstanding discoverer.
Who is James Cook?
Sailor, cartographer, explorer and discoverer.
A leading expert of his time on the Pacific Ocean and especially its southern part.
Explored and mapped the territory of the Gulf and St. Lawrence River (Canada).
He completed three circumnavigations of the world on behalf of the British Admiralty for military and scientific purposes.
The first explorer of the southern polar seas and Antarctica.
In Russia, his surname is widely known thanks to the song by Vladimir Vysotsky
"Why did the Aborigines eat Cook"
Cook did not discover new continents, new oceans or unknown paths, like the first travelers of the Age of Greats Geographical Discoveries. But his name stands in the most honorable place among geographers and researchers.
James Cook (English James Cook)born November 7, 1728. Cook's entire biography can be divided into 5 periods
Childhood, youth, sailing on commercial ships.
To the navy and exploration of the Gulf and St. Lawrence River
First circumnavigation expedition
Second circumnavigation expedition
Third round-the-world expedition
Historians claim that D. Cook came from a family of farm laborers and was born in the village of Marton in North Yorkshire. Scottish by origin. From an early age he was forced to earn his own bread. Accustomed to work, inquisitive, smart and responsible - this is how young James could be characterized.
In search of a better life, the Cook family moves to the village of Great Ayton. This happened in 1736. James starts school. Nowadays this school houses the J. Cook Museum. After studying for five years, the young man begins working on his father’s farm. Having soon realized that working on a farm he could neither go out with people nor see the world, Cook, at the age of 18, was hired as a cabin boy for a coal ship called “Hercules” (according to other sources, “Freelove” shipowners Walker brothers. The ship was a typical coal carrier. Having sailed on it two (!) years, Cook was transferred to the ship “Three Brothers” for his efforts and diligence.
Those who communicated with J. Cook at that time confirm that Cook spent all his free time reading books, independently studying mathematics, astronomy, geography and especially navigation. In addition, he was very interested in descriptions of sea expeditions.
Afterwards, Cook decided to go to the Baltic Sea on other ships, but three years later he returned to the Walker brothers. In 1755, Cook took the position of mate on the ship Friendship. Then the shipowners made him an offer to become a captain, but Cook refuses.
More pages about James Cook and his expeditions
More travelers of the era of great geographical discoveries
James Cook was a navigator who, during his short life, managed to win the love of his friends and the respect of his enemies. Contemporary researchers were surprised at its effectiveness and productivity. He completed two circumnavigations of the world, managed to complete world maps and explore the southern islands of the Pacific Ocean and the ice of the Arctic. Almost 150 years have passed since his ship Endeavor (which means “effort”) first landed on the east coast of Australia. Below are 10 little known facts about Captain Cook, who, early in his career, promised to swim “as far as possible.”
1. Cook joined the Navy relatively late.
Before joining the navy, Cook worked on a farm in Yorkshire. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the merchant fleet, on the ship of the Walker brothers. He sailed on various company ships for almost 10 years, tirelessly studying cartography, geography, mathematics and navigation. James Cook turned down a captain's position on a merchant ship and instead enlisted in the Royal Navy as a common seaman. Cook was 26 years old. The command almost immediately appreciated the talent and experience of the new recruit, and within two years Cook became a master, and a few years later he received command of his own ship.
2. He was a skilled cartographer
During the Seven Years' War, James Cook's cartographic expertise helped Britain win the Battle of Quebec. In 1760, on his own ship, he explored the island of Newfoundland, located off the coast of Canada. The map that Cook created was so accurate that it was used until the mid-20th century. Captain Cook's skills in seafaring and navigation became the main arsenal of his research activities. He was allowed to go on a trip around the world on his own ship in to a greater extent because he was able, like no one else, to navigate unfamiliar waters.
3. Captain Cook's first voyage around the world was actually a secret mission.
Captain Cook's first exploratory expedition began in August 1768. The British government entrusted him with the command of the ship Endeavor, which consisted of about a hundred crew. Officially, the trip had a scientific purpose - to observe the passage of Venus along solar orbit, but in fact the captain had additional task- search for the “Great Southern Continent”. According to assumptions, this land mass was located far to the south. Cook swam to the 40th parallel, but did not find any hint of the continent. He sailed around New Zealand, proving that there are in fact two islands that are not connected. During his second trip around the world, Cook continued his search for the Southern Continent. In 1770 he sailed incredibly close to Antarctica, but heavy ice forced him to turn back.
4. The Endeavor almost sank on the Great Barrier Reef
After his first voyage, Cook decided to sail north from Australia. Because he chose unknown waters, the ship sailed straight into the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. On June 11, 1770, the Endeavor was breached and began to fill with water. His team, frightened by the crash, began to fight the leak and even throw heavy cannons and barrels into the sea. The team spent more than twenty hours closing the hole, after which the Endeavor returned to the Australian harbor. After 2 months of repairs, the ship was ready to sail from the shores again.
5. James Cook used new methods to prevent scurvy
In the 18th century, any long journey was accompanied by a fatal disease - scurvy, but Cook was able to avoid its appearance on all three of his long-term expeditions. Captain Cook tried to buy fresh food at every stop. In addition, he noticed that constant consumption of vitamin-rich sauerkraut reduces the risk of disease. While preparing for the expeditions, Cook stocked up on tons of cabbage. The only problem was getting the sailors to eat this unusual dish. Cook used a trick and asked the cooks to serve sauerkraut to the officers’ table every day. The sailors, seeing that the command was eating this dish, began to ask to add it to their diet.
6. Even Britain's enemies respected Captain Cook
Although Cook's voyages took place at a time when Britain was at war with several nations, including the United States, Spain and France, his reputation as an outstanding navigator and explorer allowed him to navigate enemy waters in relative safety. In July 1772, during his second voyage around the world, the Spanish squadron briefly detained his ships, but realizing that Cook was their captain, they released the ships.
7. Captain Cook was searching for the northwest passage
In 1776, at the age of 47, Cook set out on his third exploring expedition. This time his goal was to find the northwest passage connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Having circumnavigated half the globe, Cook's ships headed towards northern shores Western Canada and Alaska. Cook reached almost the very passage, having not reached only 50 miles. Further searches were impossible due to the rapidly advancing ice. Extreme conditions, which included strong currents and many heavy icebergs, brought Cook's team to a strike. Seeing the mood of his sailors, Cook was forced to return back.
8. Hawaiian Natives Mistook Captain Cook for a God
On his third voyage, James Cook became the first European to set foot in the Hawaiian Islands. It was an incredible coincidence that the arrival of the Royal Navy ships in Hawaii coincided with the annual holiday in honor of the god of fertility. Because the local population Having never seen white people or the huge ships on which they sailed, Cook and his comrades were mistaken for gods who decided to descend and accept the gifts. The Europeans greedily attacked both gifts and food, practically depriving the natives of food supplies. Their "divine" life ended when one of the sailors died of a heart attack. The natives saw that the strange white people were not immortal. Since then, relations between Captain Cook and the Hawaiian tribes have been very tense.
9. Captain James Cook died a terrible death
In 1779, Captain Cook's ships were forced to stop for repairs in the bay of the Hawaiian Islands. By that time local residents They began to treat visiting Europeans very hostilely. After the natives stole a longboat from one of the ships, the captain lost his nerve and went down to land demanding the return of the property. Cook and a small group of armed men tried to capture the leader, but local residents came to the rescue. Trying to drive the local population away from the captain and his men, they began firing cannons on board the ships, which further frightened and angered the natives. Cook rushed back to the boats, but did not have time to reach them. The natives threw stones at him, and when they caught up with him, they began to beat him with heavy wooden clubs. The leader, whom the captain tried to capture, wounded Cook with a knife. After the local population realized that the captain had died, they prepared the explorer's body for burial with honors worthy of a king.
10. NASA named its shuttles after Captain Cook's ships.
During his life, Cook explored and mapped an incredible amount of territory, more than any other navigator of the 18th century. His incredible achievements amazed not only sailors, but also NASA scientists and engineers. NASA's third space shuttle was named after Cook's third space shuttle, Discovery. Their last shuttle was named Endeavor, in honor of Captain Cook's first ship, on which he made the first voyage around the world.
James Cook - first circumnavigation of the world (1768-1771)
In the second half of the eighteenth century, there were still undiscovered lands on the planet, for which there was a fierce struggle between the leading sea powers– Portugal, Spain, France, Holland and England. The British, since the time of Elizabeth of England, began to confidently push out competitors in the field of seizing overseas territories. The British Admiralty equipped naval expeditions to search for new lands, one of which was proposed to be led by James Cook.
Expedition goals
The interest was quite specific - to find the supposed Southern Continent or other lands in the southern latitudes of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, put them on maps and “stake them out” for the British crown. To disguise the true goals, a wonderful pretext was invented - scientific observations passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun.
Route of James Cook's first circumnavigation of the world
It must be said that this was not only a disguise, but also one of the real goals of the expedition. The fact is that the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun is one of the few accurately predictable at that time astronomical phenomenon,
which happens once every 243 years. At this moment, Venus stands on the same axis between the earth and the sun and can be seen even with the naked eye - a small speck on the body of our star. Just such a phenomenon should have happened in 1769.
There was great interest in this event throughout the scientific world, and leading European powers equipped expeditions to different parts of the planet. The fact is that in this way it was possible to calculate the distance to the sun, and the farther the observation points were from each other, the more accurate the result was.
It is known that in 1769, on the initiative of the Russian Academy of Sciences, different points Expeditions were organized in Siberia. Empress Catherine II herself showed interest and observed this phenomenon through a telescope!
Cook and his comrades were to arrive in Tahiti, an island in the Pacific Ocean, carry out astronomical measurements and then head further south. We had to explore New Zealand and the east coast of Australia, which at that time was completely unknown to Europeans. And all this had to be put on maps.
A better candidate who could cope with the entire range of assigned tasks than the naval officer James Cook, who had proven himself brilliantly in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, could not be found.
Cook received at his disposal a sailing ship called " Endeavor»
( endeavor - effort). It was a three-masted barque, not new, but a stable and fast ship, reaching speeds of up to 7 knots (~ 15 km per hour).
The expedition included an astronomer, botanists, artists, four dozen crew members and another dozen marines. It is interesting that the Admiralty instructions to the team had a firm directive - to establish friendly contacts with the natives in the new lands. No violence. It was prescribed in every way to win them over with the help of gifts and profitable barter. This was a new word in colonial politics. Until now, all the colonialists behaved exactly the opposite - they simply robbed and destroyed the local population!
Start of Cook's first circumnavigation expedition to the Pacific Ocean
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New Zealand. Cook opens Cook Strait
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year by Abel Tasman, a famous Dutch navigator). But it was not possible to strike up a friendship with the Maori, the aborigines of New Zealand - they were initially hostile (as they were a hundred years ago towards the Dutch), so force had to be used.
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Cook's ship sailed south along the western coast of New Zealand. We found a convenient bay for anchoring and repairing the ship, and named it Queen Charlotte Bay.
Queen Charlotte- (1744-1818) - wife of King George III of Great Britain (1738-1820) and grandmother of Queen Victoria (1819-1901). By the way, there is a recipe for Queen Charlotte charlotte- a sweet dessert made from apples baked in dough.
As the legend says, having climbed one of the high hills, Cook discovered a strait between two islands of New Zealand. This strait is still called Cook Strait. Having walked around the perimeter of the South Island, Cook became convinced that this was not part of the Southern mainland, but only one of the islands of the archipelago. From the South Island, Cook's ship heads north to the shores of Australia.
Cook explores the east coast of Australia
Cook went north and in April 1770 approached the eastern coast of Australia. And on June 11, the ship ran aground. The hole in the bottom was serious, so they began to look for a convenient bay for repairs. They found it and repaired the hole. At the same time, we found out that we had fallen into a trap - in this place the Great Barrier Reef runs along the entire coast of the mainland. We walked around the reef, but had to move away from the shore and observe it from afar. Moving along the east coast for more than 400 kilometers, the expedition discovered a strait between New Guinea and Australia. Previously, it was believed that New Guinea and Australia were one continent.
At the beginning of January 1771, the Endeavor entered Batavia (Jakarta). In Indonesia, the team was first hit by malaria, then dysentery - people died like flies. Cook decided to return home. When the Endeavor arrived Cape Town (southwestern tip of Africa) - from the whole team Only 12 people remained in the ranks - the rest were wiped out by the epidemic. In Cape Town, the team was completed and on June 12, 1771, Cook's first round-the-world expedition ended in his native Plymouth.