The Layered Legacy of Captain Cook
On the birthday of Captain Cook, we look back at an article from the archive by our Travel expert (and fount of bibliographic knowledge), Julian Mackenzie, in which he explored how Cook changed the face of exploration forever.
Whitby, a small town on the East coast of Yorkshire, has a fame which belies its modest population (circa 13,000). The ruined Abbey on a hill above the town is where Count Dracula came ashore in England in Bram Stoker's novel. It was the Synod of Whitby, between the Roman and Celtic Churches in 664 that determined the dates of Easter. It is also the breeding ground for some of the finest oysters in England. Its greatest fame, however, is the adopted town of Captain James Cook - a man who can fairly claim to be the greatest explorer of the modern era - and where his first great ship, HMS Endeavour, was built.
Royal Society Cook MedalIn three great voyages, Cook did more to clarify the geographical knowledge of the southern hemisphere for Europeans than all his predecessors had done together. He was the first scientific navigator, and his voyages greatly contributed to many fields of knowledge.
[The Three Voyages of Captain Cook]
The first voyage (1768-1772) under Cook’s command on the Endeavour was primarily scientific, the mission being to observe the transit of Venus at Tahiti. Having carried out his duties, Cook sailed on to New Zealand, which he circumnavigated and surveyed, before going on to Australia where he discovered and named New South Wales. Both Australia and New Zealand were annexed as a result of this voyage, which was also notable at the time because none of the crew had died from scurvy.
The Journal of H.M.S Resolution 1772-1775
The second voyage (1772-1776) on HMS Resolution, accompanied by the Adventure, was an expedition searching for a southern continent. Cook disproved the existence of the fabled Terra Australis, supposed to exist between New Zealand and South America, but became convinced that there was land beyond the ice-fields. This expedition became the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. From here Cook would discover, and rediscover, Easter Island, the Marquesas, New Hebrides, Tahiti, Tonga, and many other island groups. After rounding Cape Horn, he discovered and charted South Georgia. It was this voyage, which produced a vast amount of information concerning the Pacific peoples and islands, that would prove the value of the chronometer as an aid in determining longitude.
The Journals of Captain James Cook
Captain Cook's three great voyages form the basis of any collection of Pacific books.
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