James cook years. Biography of James Cook: was he a victim of cannibals

15.10.2019

1746–1754 served on merchant ships, having gone from cabin boy to assistant navigator, then on warships. In 1759–1764 was a pilot in Canadian waters. In 1764–1767, commanding a ship, he surveyed the coasts of Newfoundland and the Yucatan Peninsula.

In 1768–1771 went on his first round-the-world voyage on the ship "Endeavour", organized by the British Admiralty to seize new lands in the Pacific Ocean. Rounding Cape Horn, Cook arrived at the island of Tahiti in the South Pacific Ocean, discovered and mapped the islands lying to the northwest of it, calling them the Society Islands. In 1769–1770 rounded New Zealand, establishing its island position, explored the strait between its North and South Islands, discovered the east coast of Australia, which he called New South Wales, and the Great Barrier Reef. Then he followed west to the island of Java and around Africa returned to England.

The second round-the-world voyage of Cook (1772-1775), this time in an easterly direction, was organized to search for the southern mainland and a detailed survey of New Zealand and other islands in the Southern Hemisphere. On the ship "Resolution" in 1773, Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time in history and reached 71 ° 10' S. sh. Although Cook believed that there might be a mainland or a large island near the South Pole, attempts to find it were unsuccessful. During this voyage, Cook discovered 2 atolls in the Tuamotu Archipelago, Hervey Atoll and Palmerston Island in the Cook Islands group, the southern group of the New Hebrides, New Caledonia, Norfolk, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. The expedition collected valuable information about the flora and fauna of the islands of Oceania, Australia and the South Atlantic, about sea currents.

In 1776, Cook led the third round-the-world expedition on the ships Resolution and Discovery to search for a northwestern passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific and annex new lands in the North Pacific to Great Britain. In 1777, he discovered 3 more atolls in the Cook Islands chain, Haapai Islands in the Tonga group, Tubuai and Christmas Islands in the Line archipelago, and in 1778 - 5 Hawaiian Islands, incl. Oahu and Kauai, and the southeastern Hawaiian Islands - Maui and Hawaii. In the same year, Cook explored and mapped the northwest coast of America from 54° to 70° 20′ N. sh. In 1779 he was killed in a skirmish with the Hawaiians.

More than 20 geographical objects are named after Cook, including a mountain on the South Island in New Zealand, a strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand, 2 groups of islands in the Pacific Ocean, a bay off the coast of Alaska.

Marine encyclopedic reference book, ed. N.N. Isanina. L.: 1987

(1728-1779) English navigator and explorer

Captain James Cook, a famous English navigator and traveler, traveled all over the Pacific Ocean, visited Australia, New Zealand and many southern islands, which later became English colonies. If you try to briefly outline the routes of his travels, it turns out that he practically did not leave the ship.

James Cook was born in Yorkshire in the family of a day laborer, began serving as a cabin boy on merchant ships from the age of 18, in 1755 he entered the military service and by the age of thirty he was already considered an outstanding navigator.

After that, he made three famous expeditions: in 1768-1771 - to Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia, in 1772-1775 - to the South Pacific Ocean and in 1776-1779 - to the South and North Pacific Ocean, trying to to find the Northern Strait and for the first time marking the Siberian tip of Asia on the map.

In 1768 James Cook went to the first trip around the world.

He was supposed to deliver a scientific expedition to the island of Tahiti to observe how Venus passes across the solar disk. For this, he was provided with the Endeavor ship with a crew of 80; in addition, there were three scientists on board.

Cook successfully brought scientists to Tahiti and, after they made the necessary observations there, headed northwest.

After a long journey, he discovered an archipelago consisting of two large islands. It was New Zealand. James Cook explored it and went on to Australia. In 1770, he discovered the Great Barrier Reef, landed in Botany Bay, explored the east coast of Australia and declared it the property of Britain under the name of New South Wales. During this expedition significant scientific materials were collected. This was done by James Cook's companions - botanist Joseph Banks and zoologist Sydney Parkinson.

Then, through the Torres Strait, the navigator went to the island of Java and, having rounded the Cape of Good Hope, returned to England, having made a round-the-world trip in a westerly direction.

During his second voyage (1772-1775) James Cook went in search of the "Southern Land" and for a more detailed survey of New Zealand and other islands of the Southern Hemisphere.

Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle, but because of the ice he had to return. After numerous attempts to break through the ice, the navigator came to the conclusion that the vast Southern land does not exist. However, he mapped a number of unknown islands in the South Pacific: the southern group of the New Hebrides, about. New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, South Sandwich Islands.

The third and final journey of James Cook began in 1776.

He sailed from England on two ships, the Resolution and the Discovery. The purpose of the expedition was to try to find a way around North America - the so-called Northwest Passage. And again, Cook went out into the Pacific Ocean.

In early 1778 he discovered the Hawaiian Islands.

From here, the navigator went north, to the east coast of America. He managed to get to the Bering Bay, located near Alaska, and there he was forced to retreat under the pressure of the ice.

Shortly after James Cook returned to the Hawaiian Islands, he was killed during a confrontation with locals over a stolen boat.

The British people honor their hero as a skilled navigator and great explorer. Many places he discovered were named after him, and his detailed reports and observations became the basis for many expeditions.

In 1934, the house in which the boy James Cook lived in Great Augton, Yorkshire, was presented as a gift to the Australian government.

It was carefully dismantled and transported to Melbourne, where it became a museum.

Brief Biography of James Cook for Kids Essentials

In 1728, the future navigator was born. His family lived in the village very modestly. After graduating from a local school, he worked on a farm under the guidance of his father, and quickly got a job as a worker on a coal carrier. Thus began his new life.

He made a brilliant career and all thanks to the fact that he was diligently educating himself. He entered the merchant ship as a cabin boy, and after a while he was already an assistant to the captain.

In 1755 he signed up as a sailor in the royal navy. A month later he was already a boatswain and took part in the Seven Years' War. And in his relatively young years, he has already reached unprecedented heights.

In 1768, James set out on his first astronomical observation voyage. Landed he and his team off the coast of Tahiti. Cook was distinguished by his friendliness and encouraged his team to do so.

Any conflicts or aggression were severely punished. They had to break the stereotypes of the locals, since before that everything was done through robbery or brutal violence.

In 1772, James sets out on a second journey.

This time he was studying the Pacific Ocean region near New Zealand. This time, too, there were adventures: the ship's crew fell ill with scurvy, they witnessed a terrible spectacle - cannibalism. As a result of this expedition, many islands and archipelagos were discovered.

Since 1776, James Cook is already on his third journey. In 1778, the islands of Haiti, the island of Christmas, were discovered. It is interesting that the Haitians perceived Cook and his ships as gods, and therefore contact was established immediately.

But soon everything deteriorated due to cases of theft by local residents. The conflict grew in spite of Cook's great friendliness. In 1779, there was a skirmish with local residents, as a result of which Cook was killed.

For children by dates

Biography of James Cook about the main thing

James Cook - who has not heard the name of this great English navigator who, at the cost of his life, made three trips around the world.

James Cook was born the ninth child in a family of farm servants back in 1728.

Life in poverty spurred the very young James to look for a job. At the age of 13, a haberdasher takes him to his apprentice for leather dressing.

From a young age, Cook dreamed of sailing on big ships, discovering and exploring distant lands. From the age of 18, he stubbornly paved his way through thorns to the stars.

Initially, he enters as a cabin boy on a ship for transportation hard coal. During this period, he actively engaged in self-education, since he had no money for college or tutors. He willingly reads, studies geography, drawing, history, mathematics. He buys a lot of books and spends his entire salary on this hobby.

In 1755, the war with France began. Cook gets a sailor on a warship. Here he proves himself to be a good cartographer.

The knowledge and skills he received helped him navigate the terrain and draw up good navigational and strategic maps of the rivers of Canada and Labrador.

These cards were actively used in military affairs for attack.
In 1768, James Cook received the rank of officer and became the leader of the first round-the-world expedition in his life to the Southern Hemisphere. This expedition will last more than three years. The expedition rounded Cape Horn, reached Tahiti. On the island of Tahiti, Cook and a team of scientists were supposed to explore the dome of the starry sky of the Southern Hemisphere, but, unfortunately, the local natives stole most of the equipment.

As a result, it was not possible to conduct a proper study, and the ship headed further south. Along the way, they passed New Zealand, reached Australia. It was this fact that then allowed England to claim its rights to the green continent.

In addition, on this expedition, Cook discovered the wonder of the world - the Great Barrier Reef, which we now hear so often about.

The second expedition in 1772 was shorter but no less productive.

Cook's ship went south and couldn't get through the ice. The team conducted a study of the boundaries of the ice. Along the way, the archipelago of Tonga and New Caledonia were discovered.

Cook's last voyage took place in 1776. The purpose of the journey was to open a passage connecting the two oceans in the north. The ship reached the 71st parallel and could not move further because of the ice. Cook ordered a course set for Hawaii. By the way, James Cook also discovered Hawaii to the world a few years earlier.

Arriving in Hawaii, the team went ashore. But on the shore, hostile, aggressive locals were waiting for them. A multi-day bloody brawl began and on February 14, 1779, the natives of Hawaii killed James Cook, and his ships Resolution and Discovery returned to England.

James Cook left behind a huge legacy.

What did James Cook discover?

More than 20 geographical large objects are named after him. Sadly, James Cook left no heirs. The fact is that he was married and had 6 children. Unfortunately, all the children died at an early age. Such is not an easy fate for a great man.

For children by dates

Interesting facts and dates from life

Main article: Exploration of the World Ocean

In the 18th century, Great Britain (England) became the "mistress of the seas", in the anthem of which there are the words: "Rule, Britain, the seas." In 1768, an expedition was sent to the Pacific Ocean in search of new lands. James Cook.

A smart and brave sailor, he went from cabin boy to ship captain. Twice Cook circumnavigated the world and died during the third in 1779.

Cook completed the discovery of the coast of New Zealand, proving that this is not the mainland, but two large islands. He mapped the east coast of Australia for the first time. The navigators were convinced that Australia (translated as "southern land") is the size of a mainland.

Cook discovered many islands in the Atlantic, Indian and especially in the Pacific Ocean. The islands of Oceania are very diverse. Among them there are small coral islands - atolls, rising only 2-3 meters above sea level.

There are small and large, up to several thousand meters high, volcanic islands. There are large islands, such as New Guinea and New Zealand, whose nature is similar to that of the mainland. Several islands close to each other form an archipelago.

The inhabitants of small islands - the Polynesians - were excellent sailors and fishermen. Most of them warmly welcomed Cook and his companions. The inhabitants of New Guinea, New Zealand, the Hawaiian Islands were warlike, often fought among themselves.

In a skirmish with local residents - the natives of the Hawaiian Islands - James Cook was killed.

First circumnavigation of the world (1768-1771)

Off the eastern coast of Australia, Cook discovered one of the wonders of the world - the Great Barrier Reef - a ridge of coral underwater and surface elevations about 2000 km long.

Corals are limestone skeletons of the smallest marine animals of the warm seas. There can be so many of them that together they form underwater platforms and islands that make navigation difficult. The underwater inhabitants of coral reefs, fish, starfish, and crabs are very interesting and beautiful.

Birds of paradise live in New Guinea, so named for the beauty of their plumage. Many New Zealand birds cannot fly - there are no predators on the island, and they calmly search for food on the ground all day long.

Second circumnavigation of the world (1772-1775)

Cook believed that a vast land could lie near the South Pole, and in search of the southern mainland he sailed far to the south, beyond the Antarctic Circle.

His path was blocked by thick fogs, ice and icebergs. Cook turned back, believing that no one could penetrate further south than he. Material from the site http://wikiwhat.ru

Third circumnavigation of the world (1776-1779)

In the Pacific North, Cook was looking for ways to the Atlantic. He sailed along the coasts of North America, described them, rounded the Alaska Peninsula in the northwest of the mainland and, having passed the Bering Strait, entered the Arctic Ocean.

Hawaiian Islands, discovered by Cook in the Pacific Ocean - a large volcanic archipelago. The peaks of the volcanoes exceed 4000 m.

What did James Cook discover? Travels of the legendary navigator

Eruptions occur frequently. Lava, like a fiery river, flows into the ocean. Coconut palms grow on the banks. Their large, hard-shelled nuts fall into the ocean and are carried by the currents.

Cast ashore, they sprout on a new island. There is a lot of liquid inside the nut - coconut milk. On atolls where there are no streams and rivers, this milk often replaced water for the inhabitants. There are many on the islands different birds and no or almost no animals.

On this page, material on the topics:

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James cook 1768-1779 what he discovered
The main contribution of the discovery of the land of James Cook
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james cook contribution contribution to the study of the pacific

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What is called Oceania?
Tell us about the nature of the Pacific Islands.

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British navigator James Cook: biography of a young man who became a captain

Cook James(1728-1779) - English navigator.

He was born into the family of a daily worker and received a modest school education. Cook worked as a grocery store assistant, then as a sailor. In 1757 he volunteered to serve in the Navy. Cook's unusual ability allowed him to earn the title of navigator within two years.

She has worked for a long time as a geodeter in challenging environments in North America, where she conducts surveys and coastal surveys. Consequently, dozens of geographical maps were created, which were the result of five years of research.

On his first expedition to the widespread southern sea, Cook left the command at the age of 40.

Its purpose is to astronomically observe the transit of Venus through the solar panel. This happened in early June 1769 and was only visible in the southern tropics. Thus, the official part of the expedition was developed. However, one more important thing: to determine whether this is really the land of the southern state (Antarctica), and if so, then it should become the owner of the British crown. But as a result of his first trip, Cook cannot be sure of the existence of the continent.

Nevertheless, the expedition discovered and explored many islands, explored the east coast of Australia and declared it a colony of England.

The question arises of organizing a new expedition. Exactly one year after his return, Cook sets off on a second expedition, and only three years later will he see the coast of England again.

During this journey, the expedition for the first time in the world crossed the Antarctic Circle and separated them from Antarctica by only a hundred kilometers.

However, it was impossible to move on. Now Cook could say with complete certainty: there is no unknown southern country. He writes: "I passed through the southern ocean at high latitudes and crossed it so that there was no place for the continent except in the vicinity of drugs in places inaccessible to navigation."

But in reality there was an unknown southern country and wrong conclusions. Hook greatly hampered further exploration of the Antarctic spaces.

During the second expedition, Cook prepared several new islands and visited the mysterious Easter Island.

In July 1776, Cook set out on his third and final journey, from which he did not have to return. The purpose of this expedition is to find the transition from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean in northern latitudes.

This has been happening for a long time. On the east coast of the Bering Strait, ships reach Alaska. But the search for a passage is in vain: impenetrable ice blocks the path. Almost three months Cook went to the subpolar latitude; during this period he manages to explain the card. In 1778, the ships returned, and in January 1779 they reached the Hawaiian Islands.

Their discovery was the most important achievement of the third expedition.

The inhabitants of the islands, who were outraged by the behavior of the sailors and the police, were killed by J. Cook.

Contrasting information about how he died. On February 22, 1779, the weary remains of James Cook were released into the sea. It was a tragic end to the life of one of the greatest navigators in human history.

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Biography and discoveries of James Cook
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The future navigator James Cook was born in 1728 in England, in the family of a former farm laborer. After he received his education, the young man got a job as a cabin boy on his first ship.

Beginning of service in the Navy

Even in his early youth, Cook decided that he would devote his life to the sea. In his free time from swimming, he studied related sciences - geography, astronomy and the history of exploration of new lands. In 1755, the Royal Navy took on a new sailor. It was James Cook. The brief biography of the man included career growth from a simple sailor to a boatswain in just a month of service.

At this time began against France and her allies. Cook participated in the battles on the ship "Eagle" and the blockade of the enemy coast. In 1758 he was sent to North America, where the struggle for colonies and resources continued between the two great maritime powers. At that time, Cook was the master - assistant to the captain. He, as a specialist in cartography, was instructed to explore the channel and the fairway. On its banks there was an important one that the British wanted to capture.

The master successfully coped with his task, thanks to which the assault and capture of an important fortress took place. The Royal Navy was vital to specialists such as James Cook, short biography which received a new round. After returning to his homeland, he began to prepare for his first trip around the world.

First expedition

The government provided Cook with a small ship, the Endeavor. On it, an experienced sailor had to explore the southern seas in order to find an unknown mainland, which was supposedly located in those extreme latitudes. The team also included experienced specialists - botanists and astronomers. This team was to be led by James Cook, whose brief biography still attracts numerous readers today.

In 1768 he left the port of Plymouth to be in Tahiti. The captain was distinguished by the fact that he introduced strict discipline on the ship regarding the attitude towards the natives. The team was ordered not to come into conflict with the savages in any case, but, on the contrary, to try to build peaceful relations. This went against the habitual practice of the colonialists, when the local population was massively massacred or enslaved. Traveler James Cook opposed this. The brief biography of the captain does not contain the facts that he ever initiated a conflict with the natives.

New Zealand and Australia

Tahiti was followed by New Zealand, which was carefully explored by James Cook. The short biography of the navigator in each textbook includes a detailed description of his activities as a cartographer. He described in detail each coast that he sailed past. His cards were used for another hundred years. On the Endeavour, he discovered a bay, which he named Queen Charlotte Bay. The name of the captain was given to the strait that separates the two islands of New Zealand.

The east coast of Australia met the team with unprecedented plant species. Because of this, the bay in this region was named Botanical. Europeans were amazed at the local fauna, including the wild kangaroo. On June 11, 1770, the ship received a serious hole on the reef, which greatly slowed down the expedition.

When the leak was sealed, Endeavor went to Indonesia. There the sailors contracted malaria. The sanitary conditions of those voyages favored the spread of epidemics. However, Cook, thanks to the observance of hygiene rules and a change in diet, managed to overcome scurvy, the scourge of many sailors. But against malaria and dysentery has not yet been effective means. Therefore, when the Endeavor finally ended up in Cape Town, only 12 people remained on board, including Cook.

The first expedition proved that New Zealand is two islands. The main target (the southern mainland) was never found. The east coast of Australia was drawn in detail on the map.

Second expedition

In 1772, a new expedition was launched, led by James Cook. A short biography for children contains many fascinating details of the journey that will attract young readers. Mostly descriptions. amazing plants and tropical fauna.

Cook's first target was Bouvet Island, which had previously been seen from a distance by a Norwegian expedition. However, the desired piece of land was never found, after which the team went further south. In January 1773, Resolution and Adventure crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time in the history of exploration. Due to severe weather conditions, the two ships even briefly lost sight of each other.

After a long voyage, the expedition headed to Tahiti and Huahine. There, the British encountered the aggressive behavior of the natives and even cannibalism. Subsequently, Cook headed due east, discovering New Caledonia and South Georgia. However, he never managed to reach the shores of Antarctica. That's where James Cook was heading. Biography, summary which captivates with vivid adventures, has become the subject of research by numerous historians.

Last expedition

In 1776, a new one began - the last journey, led by James Cook. The biography, a summary of which is in all geography textbooks, includes such an interesting chapter. This time the captain received two ships - "Resolution" and "Discovery".

On December 24, 1777, the expedition opened the so-called in honor of the upcoming holiday. Here the sailors managed to see the solar eclipse with their own eyes. James Cook knew about his coming, whose brief biography included long days of studying astronomy.

Doom

Already in January, Europeans first saw the Hawaiian Islands. Here they rested, after which they went to the shores of Alaska and the Chukchi Sea. On the way the ships crossed On Cook met with n explorers and industrialists.

From the polar seas, the team returned to Hawaii. She was greeted by a crowd of natives numbering about a thousand. Conflicts constantly arose with the locals, because of which they attacked the British. During one of the attacks on February 14, 1779, James Cook was killed. A very brief biography of this navigator should be known to any educated and erudite person. The captain became national hero Great Britain.

The version that the natives in Australia ate Cook remained an artistic truth thanks to a good song by Vladimir Semenovich Vysotsky. But the artistic truth diverged from the historical.

On February 14, 1779, the natives killed the famous English navigator James Cook with a stone on the head. Cook's team, leaving their commander, shamefully fled the battlefield. The fact that the aborigines ate Cook is probably known to every resident former USSR. But they didn't actually eat it. Having coped with fear on the ship, the team demanded that the natives hand over Cook's body. Those, a few days later, gave the British his remains. The remains of Captain James Cook were solemnly buried in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, where they rest to this day. And it happened not in Australia, but on one of the Hawaiian Islands.

Meanwhile, the version that the natives in Australia ate Cook remained an artistic truth thanks to the good song of Vladimir Semenovich Vysotsky. But artistic truth diverged from historical truth. This is by no means the first time this has happened in Russian literature. For example, the real Salieri did not poison the real Mozart, despite the brilliant play by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.

And now in more detail...

Brief biography of the hero

In terms of his role in the history of the Great Geographical Discoveries, James Cook occupies a place comparable to that of Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan. He not only discovered many new lands and found out the structure and location of Australia and many islands of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, but also made a breakthrough in the study of the southern seas, giving their first systematic and reliable cartographic description.

James Cook was born on October 27, 1728 in the village of Marton, Yorkshire, in the family of a poor Scottish farm laborer. For some reason, most poor families in many countries of the world had large families. Here, James Cook was the second child of eight children in the family. Nothing foreshadowed that a famous navigator would grow out of a little boy. But James Cook turned out to be a “tough nut”. We can safely say about him: “selfmademan (a person who made himself)”.

James's father, who worked all week without straightening his back, devoted Sunday to family and God. In 1736, the family moved to the village of Great Ayton near the city of Newcastle. Here, Cook was sent to a local school (now turned into a museum). The father wanted to teach his son to be a businessman. To this end, when James was thirteen years old, his father gave him into the service of a haberdasher, but he did not like this prospect. The only thing that attracted him was the proximity of the sea and the port of Newcastle. He could watch for hours as black, gloomy ships endlessly took into their bowels a cargo of coal. This was a gratifying sight for him, because in his imagination he already saw how ships cut through the waves of the sea. Of course, conditions in England at that time were different from those in Russia at that time, and young James Cook did not have to, like Mikhail Lomonosov, go on foot from Newcastle to London in pursuit of knowledge. He corny ran away from home and got a job as a cabin boy on the brig "Freelove", transporting coal along the route Newcastle - London. In parallel with this, Cook unbanally engaged in self-education and spent almost all of his small salary on buying books. - Why do you need this? Sailors asked Cook, dreaming only of food and drink. And when they found out that the money was intended for books, they laughed at him. Then the sailors even began to get angry: after all, such asceticism and diligence were a reproach to them. To defend his freedom, young James often had to use his fists. Cook devoted his free time to the study of geography, navigation, mathematics, astronomy, and descriptions of sea expeditions. Thus began the marine life of our hero. He was then eighteen years old.

James Cook, obviously, took into account that in the then England they knew how to appreciate educated people. And he turned out to be right. Three years later, he was offered to take command of the Friendship, but Cook refused. Instead, on June 17, 1755, Cook signed up as a sailor in the Royal Navy and 8 days later was assigned to the 60-gun ship Eagle. And again, he did not lose. A month after admission, he becomes a boatswain on a warship.

soon turned around fighting between England and France in the Seven Years' War. The ship "Eagle", on which Cook served, was ordered to take part in the blockade of the coast of France. In May 1757, near the French island of Ouessant, the "Eagle" entered into battle with the French ship "Duke of Aquitaine". During the pursuit and battle, the "Duke of Aquitaine" was captured, and the "Eagle" was damaged and was forced to go to England for repairs. Cook received his first baptism of fire.

Upon reaching two years of experience, James Cook successfully passed the SailingMaster exam, and was assigned to the Solebey ship, and then to the Pembroke ship, on which he took part in the blockade of the Bay of Biscay. Then in February 1758 he was sent to the east coast of Canada .This is where the knowledge gained from textbooks in pre-war life came in handy.

Participating in the war in Canada, James Cook was not content with military operations. One day he presented his superiors with a map he had drawn up of the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. But even among the officers, good cartographers came across not so often. Cook was transferred to a special vessel designed for mapping the coast of Labrador. After a while, holding amazing detailed map Islands of Newfoundland, a captain of the first rank, who headed the cartographic service of the English Admiralty, asked who compiled it.

Before Cook was given the most important task - to furnish the fairway of the section of the St. Lawrence River so that British ships could pass through it to Quebec. This task included not only drawing the fairway on the map, but also the designation of navigable sections of the river with buoys. On the one hand, due to the extreme complexity of the fairway, the amount of work was very large, on the other hand, they had to work at night, under fire from French artillery, repulsing night counterattacks, restoring buoys that the French managed to destroy. The successful work enriched Cook with cartographic experience, and was also one of the main reasons why the Admiralty ultimately chose him as his historical choice. Cook did not take part in the hostilities directly. After the capture of Quebec, he was transferred as a master to the flagship Northumberland, which can be regarded as professional encouragement. By order of Admiral Colville, Cooke continued to map the St. Lawrence until 1762. Cook's charts were recommended for publication by Admiral Colville and were published in the North American Pilot of 1765, and Cook received the officer's rank of lieutenant. From now on, the entire English vertical of power, including ministers and kings, had to call the son of a poor farmhand sir. The iron will of Lieutenant Cook won another victory. He returned to England in November 1762.

Shortly after returning from Canada, on December 21, 1762, Cooke married Elizabeth Butts. They had six children, all of whom died in childhood and adolescence.

Merit to the motherland

James Cook led three expeditions to explore the World Ocean, all of which were around the world. Cook did not complete the third round-the-world expedition. He died. During these three expeditions, he made a number of geographical discoveries. More than 20 geographical features are named after him, including three bays, two groups of islands and two straits.

James Cook brought up a galaxy of famous English sailors. Under his command in different time served: the future president of the Royal Society (analogous to the Academy of Sciences) Joseph Banks; the future governor of New South Wales and a tireless fighter against corruption William Bly, better known in history as Captain "Bounty" Bly; future explorer of the Pacific coast of North America George Vancouver; botanist , ornithologist, zoologist Johann Reingold Forster and his son Georg Forster, future Polish-German and public and political figure. Among his team were sailors, who then distinguished themselves in the service of the Russian Empire. So, the sailor from his ship, Joseph Billings, led in 1785-1792, already as a captain, a Russian expedition to the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, and another sailor James Trevenen, then in the Russian service, distinguished himself during the war with Sweden (he died in the Vyborg naval battle in July 1790).

James Cook made a kind of revolution in navigation, having learned how to successfully deal with such a dangerous and widespread disease at that time as scurvy. Mortality from it during his voyages was practically reduced to zero.

From the middle of the 18th century, the struggle between the great powers of the then world for the annexation of new lands to their territory flared up with renewed vigor. All the great powers were then grouped in Europe. Portugal and Spain by that time essentially left this geopolitical game, being content with what they had conquered earlier. Only England and France remained. They competed among themselves for new lands in the Pacific Ocean. Accordingly, James Cook in all 3 of his circumnavigations had both an official goal and secret orders from the English Admiralty.

First circumnavigation of the world (1768 - 1771) . The official goal 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 ordered immediately after the completion of astronomical observations to go to the southern latitudes in search of the so-called Southern Continent (also known as TerraIncognita). Also, the purpose of the expedition was to establish the coast of Australia, especially its east coast.

At the disposal of Cook was the three-masted ship "Endever". For astronomical observations of Venus, Cook made a stop on the island of Tahiti. Then, after the discovery of four islands from the group of the Society, he passed through the "empty" ocean for more than 2.5 thousand km and on October 8, 1769 reached an unknown land, with high, snow-covered mountains. It was New Zealand. Cook was convinced that these were two large islands separated by a strait that later received his name. In the summer, Cook first approached the east coast of Australia, which he declared a British possession (New South Wales). He discovered the Great Barrier Reef. Europeans first learned the words "kangaroo" and "taboo" from Cook's magazines.

Second circumnavigation of the world (1772 - 1775) . Cook's second circumnavigation of the world is often referred to as the Antarctic. The specific goals that the Admiralty set for the second expedition remained unknown. It is only known that this time Cook was intensively looking for the notorious Southern Continent in order to get ahead of the French. French expeditions were sent in the late sixties of the XVIII century in search of the southern mainland. They are associated with the names of Bougainville, Surville, Marionadu Fresne, Kerguelen. The French, like the British, the search for the southern mainland was also caused not so much by scientific interests as by geopolitical ones.

Departing on his first voyage to the New World in 1492, Christopher Columbus was sure that he would discover a group of islands 2,400 nautical miles west of Spain, not far from Japan. Columbus dreamed of building cities there and establishing trade with Europe in gold, pearls and spices. These islands he called the Indies, and imagined himself to be the great lord of these lands. Columbus' plans coincided with the interests Spanish kings. Wars with the Moors devastated the royal treasury, and the rich lands of the Indies tempted them with promises of quick profit.

This time, Cook had two ships at his disposal - the three-masted sloop Rezolyushin and the three-masted sloop Adventure. In January 1773, for the first time in the history of navigation, Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle (40 ° east longitude) and went beyond 66 ° south latitude. In the summer of this year, he unsuccessfully tried to search for the Southern Continent twice more, reaching 71 ° 10 "south latitude. Despite the conviction that there was land near the pole, he abandoned subsequent attempts, considering it impossible due to the accumulation of ice to continue sailing south. In the Pacific In the ocean on the way back, he discovered the islands of New Caledonia, Norfolk and a number of atolls, South Georgia and "Sandwich Land" (South Sandwich Islands). While sailing in Antarctic waters, Cook buried the legend of the giant Southern continent. In Russia, Cook was not believed. And rightly so did. The southern mainland was discovered not by the British, not by the French, but by the Russian naval commanders F. Bellingshausen and M. Lazarev in 1820.

Death of a hero

After the second round-the-world expedition, James Cook received another military rank of post-captain, was admitted to the Royal Geographical Society and was awarded his gold medal. He gets a good place in the naval hospital with an annual salary of 230 pounds, a former honorary sinecure. But Cook considered that he had not yet built up enough money, and refused the sinecure. At this time, the third round-the-world expedition arrived in time. Cook decided to lead it. The decision turned out to be fatal.

Third circumnavigation. (1776 - 1779) . At this time, the English Admiralty was anxiously watching how Russian empire Successfully mastering the Northwest Pacific Ocean After Vitus Bering discovered the strait between Asia and America in 1728, Russia successfully mastered the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, and the Kuril Islands. And the British in this part of the world did not have a single base. The chiefs in the English Admiralty reasoned something like this: “Who are we? A great power or some kind of undercuts ... We must show these Russians who is the master of the sea. For this purpose, an expedition was organized.

James Cook received an order from the Admiralty - to find another, Northwest passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, i.e. to check whether it is possible to get to the Pacific Ocean through the Arctic Ocean, keeping close to the Canadian coast and Alaska.

This time, Captain James Cook also commanded two ships. The flagship was the same Rezolyushin, which proved itself with the best side on the second trip around the world. The second ship was called the Discovery, it was commanded by Charles Clark. The expedition set sail from the English coast in mid-July 1776, and already in December headed towards Australia through the Cape of Good Hope. In early December 1777, the expedition began its task. The ships sailed north. Immediately after crossing the equator, Cook discovered the world's largest atoll island. Since it happened on December 24, the land was called Christmas Island. Three weeks later, Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands. After that, a small squadron sailed northeast to the lands of North America. Then cold waters began. The expedition passed through the Bering Strait and ended up in the Chukchi Sea. The expedition encountered drifting ice and cold winds. Fragile ships with unreliable plating could not move in such an environment. More or less strong ice floes could simply crush the ships, like shells of nuts. Cook gave the order to turn back. He decided to spend the winter on the Hawaiian Islands he had discovered. A small squadron arrived at them at the end of November 1778. Ships anchored near uncharted shores. The main task was to repair ships. Those pretty battered in the northern waters. There was also an acute issue with provisions. The British decided to buy it from the local population. Those. contacts with the natives were inevitable.

Usually Kuku is credited with a tolerant and friendly attitude towards the indigenous inhabitants of the territories he visits, i.e. political correctness. In other words, Cook wanted to be a good colonizer. But this ruined him. Initially, the natives took him for a god. Then they thought: “Why is he so polite. He does not beat, does not punish, but only strokes the head. He is no god." Having thought so, the previously polite natives began to snap, be rude and steal. After all, natives are children of nature. And in nature, the struggle for existence reigns, not political correctness. But the members of the team warned their captain: “What are you doing, sir, in front of the savages. With them it is necessary in our way, in the sea. Cook was offended by such advice and ordered the team to translate the marine dictionary into civilian English language like: "radish (radish, eng.) -badman (bad man, eng.)", etc..

So this time, the natives at first mistook Cook for a god, prostrated themselves before him, shouted to him: “O-rune te Tu-ti!”. “O-rune” in translation from the aboriginal is the deity of light and peace, and “Tu-ti” is Cook. Then the natives realized that he was no god, and began to be rude. First they stole the tongs from the ship repair shop, then the boat from the Resolution ship. Enraged Cook, at the head of an armed detachment, decided to deal with the thieves. An aggressive crowd gathered on the shore. When the detachment landed on the shore, stones flew at them. One stone hit and Cook, he shot, killed the native. The crowd went wild. Another stone hit Cook in the head, he fell, he and four other sailors were finished off by the natives with knives. Their companions faint-heartedly left the shore and sailed away.

Captain Charles Clark, who became the head of the expedition, ordered military operation, during which the landing under the cover of cannons captured and burned to the ground the coastal settlements and drove the Hawaiians into the mountains. After that, Clark entered into negotiations with the leader of the Aboriginal people about the extradition of the remains of Captain Cook. The natives perfectly understood such a language and gave out the remains. The Hawaiians delivered to the Resolution a basket of ten pounds of meat and a human head without a lower jaw, all that was left of James Cook. On February 22, 1779, the remains were buried at sea.

I am often asked if there are really many cannibals in PNG. Personally, I have not seen cannibals. Everyone I met in PNG turned out to be very friendly and often even pleasant people. But it is said that in remote areas, where neither tourists nor local authorities usually reach, cannibalism still flourishes. Although it was prohibited by law fifty years ago.

But Cook was not eaten. The fact is that cannibals did not live in Hawaii. They lived on the island of Fiji, they lived in Tasmania, they lived on the islands of Polynesia, they lived in New Zealand, but they didn’t live in Hawaii. But the local natives still had some cannibal habits. So, for example, during In solemn ceremony, only the left eye of the victim was usually offered to the presiding chief. The rest was cut into pieces and burned as a ritual sacrifice to the gods. Most likely, Cook's body was subjected to some kind of ritual executions.

Further, the new expedition captain Clark went north to look for a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific. On the way, he decided to make a stop in Kamchatka. On April 29, the ships entered the Peter and Paul harbor. The head of Kamchatka, Magnus Bem, having warmly received the British, immediately left for St. Petersburg for a report. This time the expedition also tried to break through the Chukchi Sea, and again failed. After that, the expedition again went to Kamchatka. On the way, Charles Clark died of tuberculosis and was buried somewhere in Kamchatka. In Petropavlovsk, the expedition was met by Bem's deputy captain Shmalev.

Then the rumor began to “walk” around the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg that the natives had eaten Cook. In 1917, tsarism was overthrown, but the rumors remained. Over time, this rumor most likely reached the ears of Vladimir Semenovich Vysotsky. That's how the song came about. And thank God. After all, the song is good.

Epilogue

In May 1823, the Hawaiian king Kamehameh II arrived in Britain for treatment. That's how it always is. Citizens are treated by local doctors, and chiefs in London. The Hawaiian King is no exception. King George IV of England gave Kamehamehu II a lavish reception. Moved by Kamehamekh II, he gave the British an aboriginal arrow and said that the white bone in the middle of its shaft was the bone of a white man named James Cook. Four months later, Kamehameh II died.

In 1886, the arrow moved from London to Australia, where it was kept until recently, when the president of the Captain Cook Society, Cliff Tronton, decided to check the authenticity of the bone. DNA analysis did not confirm that the bone fragment belonged to Cook's body, although the very reliability of the analysis remains in doubt today, because none of Cook's six children acquired their own offspring, and therefore scientists had to turn to his descendants sister Margaret.

(1728-1779) English navigator and explorer

In 1768, James Cook set out on the first trip around the world. He was supposed to deliver a scientific expedition to the island of Tahiti to observe how Venus passes across the solar disk. For this, he was provided with the Endeavor ship with a crew of 80; in addition, there were three scientists on board.

Cook successfully brought scientists to Tahiti and, after they made the necessary observations there, headed northwest. After a long journey, he discovered an archipelago consisting of two large islands. It was New Zealand. James Cook explored it and went on to Australia. In 1770, he discovered the Great Barrier Reef, landed in Botany Bay, explored the east coast of Australia and declared it the property of Britain under the name of New South Wales. During this expedition significant scientific materials were collected. This was done by James Cook's companions - botanist Joseph Banks and zoologist Sydney Parkinson. Then, through the Torres Strait, the navigator went to the island of Java and, having rounded the Cape of Good Hope, returned to England, having made a round-the-world trip in a westerly direction.

During his second voyage (1772-1775) James Cook went in search of the "Southern Land" and for a more detailed survey of New Zealand and other islands of the Southern Hemisphere. Cook crossed the Antarctic Circle, but because of the ice he had to return. After numerous attempts to break through the ice, the navigator came to the conclusion that the vast Southern land does not exist. However, he mapped a number of unknown islands in the South Pacific: the southern group of the New Hebrides, about. New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, South Sandwich Islands.

The third and final journey of James Cook began in 1776. He sailed from England on two ships, the Resolution and the Discovery. The purpose of the expedition was to try to find a way around North America - the so-called Northwest Passage. And again, Cook went out into the Pacific Ocean.

In early 1778 he discovered the Hawaiian Islands. From here, the navigator went north, to the east coast of America. He managed to get to the Bering Bay, located near Alaska, and there he was forced to retreat under the pressure of the ice. Shortly after James Cook returned to the Hawaiian Islands, he was killed during a confrontation with locals over a stolen boat.

In 1934, the house in which the boy James Cook lived in Great Augton, Yorkshire, was presented as a gift to the Australian government. It was carefully dismantled and transported to Melbourne, where it became a museum.

The name of this navigator takes pride of place in the list of great pioneers. Just like Francis Drake and many others, he changed the map of the world, supplemented it with his observations and discoveries. Every schoolchild knows about his discoveries, as well as about his tragic death.

What did James Cook discover and who is he? This question is of interest not only to schoolchildren, but also to adults who admire the fortitude and courage of the people of the past. The future traveler was born in a simple Scottish family on October 27, 1728. He was the fifth child, went to school for five years, and then worked for a local farmer. 1746 was a turning point in James's life: he got a job as a cabin boy on a coal ship.

Before telling what James Cook discovered, it should be noted that the young man met with the greatest people. William Bligh (better known as the legendary captain of the Bounty), Georg Forster, Joseph Banks inspired him to explore the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. Before he organizes three expeditions and goes down in history as the discoverer of Australia, James diligently studies maritime science, geography, mathematics and navigation. The diligent sailor was noticed by the Walker shipowner brothers, who offered him to lead one of their ships. However, Cook refuses and continues to serve in the British Navy.

James Cook is a navigator, a participant who shows remarkable abilities. He is noticed in the Admiralty, and this predetermines further development his career. In 1768, he was entrusted with the ship Endeavor, on which he set off on his first expedition.

What James Cook Discovered in the South the globe, a mysterious and unexplored corner? It is worth noting that the pundits of that time believed that there should be another continent there. The famous captain went in search of him. In addition to Australia, discovered by him on April 29, 1770, he mapped many more islands, Big Cook carefully explored coastline southern continent, gave names to bays and bays, noted in the report places suitable for life. With his light hand then the largest Australian port city of Sydney was founded.

We can safely say that James Cook discovered not just new land, and a new era of colonization. Not only geographers got jobs, biologists discovered dozens of plant and animal species previously unknown to science. Great Britain was replenished with a new land, where it hastened to relocate dangerous criminals. Romantics poured into the open continent, hoping to discover countless treasures, like in America, and find a new home.

James Cook, whose discoveries can hardly be overestimated, died during his third expedition at the hands of the natives. During clashes with local residents, a heavy stone hit the captain in the head. The team was forced to retreat to the ship, leaving the body on the shore. A few days later, the natives sent her the remains of the commander, who were given to the sea with great honor.