Two hundred and fifty years ago this month, a ship called the Endeavour set sail from Plymouth on the south coast of England on a voyage of discovery. It was the first of three incredible journeys on which Capitan James Cook and his crew sailed thousands of miles into unchartered territories, crossing the Antarctic Circle for the first time and mapping lands from New Zealand to Hawaii. The purpose of the first expedition was scientific: to observe the transit of Venus, one of the wonders of the natural world. Yet Cook had secret instructions, which he was only allowed to open when he reached Tahiti.
COUNTRY BOY
James Cook was no ordinary captain. The son of a farmer, he was born in Yorkshire in 1728. Like many teenagers, he apprenticed on coal-carrying boats and then joined the merchant navy. Yet while many hated sea life, Cook showed both physical courage and worked hard, studying mathematics, charting, geography and astronomy. In fact, his skills as an astronomer and cartographer impressed the Royal Navy so much that he was promoted again and again.
THE ENDEAVOUR
At a time when British overseas exploration was of great interest, the Royal Society appointed Cook as commander of the Endeavour, which sailed on the 26th of August 1768. On his first voyage Cook rounded Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of the Americas, crossed the Pacific and arrived at Tahiti in June 1769. Having observed the transit of Venus, he opened his confidential instructions: Cook was ordered to confirm the existence of a large mass of land on the southern hemisphere known since the Greek age as the Terra Australis Incognita.
UNKNOWN LANDS
Capitan Cook and his crew headed west. They mapped the complete coastline of New Zealand. They surveyed and named features, recorded islands and coastlines and took accounts of local customs. They also collected many samples of flora and fauna from new places. Then they revealed to the world the extraordinary truth about Terra Australis Incognita: that it did not exist! In its place, Cook became the first European to discover a new land that came to be called Australia.
THE GOOD CAPTAIN
While his discoveries led to settlements, Cook himself was only interested in information. By the standards of the time, he also treated his crew well and had good relations with other cultures. It was a hard life. Sailors were exposed to terrible diseases caused by malnutrition. Discipline was tight, sea storms and shipwrecks common, and there were pirate ships. Furthermore, no women were allowed on board; although, it seems, some did join up pretending to be men! We know this, as there are reports that babies were born. What a life they must have endured!
