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Front: Captain James Cook (1728-1779), explorer
James Cook was born in England, and entered the navy as a seaman in
1755. By 1768 he had been promoted to first lieutenant, and was given command
of the bark Endeavour.
Cook received instructions to set sail for the Pacific in order to
study the passage of the planet Venus across the disc of the sun. This was
predicted to take place on 3rd June 1769, an event that would not take place
again for another 105 years. A second set of secret instructions was to search
for the mysterious and elusive "southern continent" - Terra Australis incognita.
On 26th August 1768, the Endeavour set sail from Plymouth, stocked with 18
months supplies, and with 94 men aboard. Accompanying Cook were Joseph Banks,
the botanist, Daniel Solander, a naturalist, and Charles Green, from the
Greenwich Observatory.
On 13th April 1769 the Endeavour laid anchor in Tahiti, where the
passage of Venus was duly observed. Shortly afterward, the ship left Tahiti for
New Zealand, and the search for the southern continent.
On 8th October the Endeavour sailed into New Zealand and began exploring
along its coasts. The Endeavour left New Zealand on 31st March 1770. Cook had
just charted 2400 miles of New Zealand coastline in less than 6 months.
Back: Waitangi Treaty signing scene
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