What did James Cook discover on his first voyage?

First voyage

He was instructed to sail to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus in 1769 and also to ascertain whether a continent existed in the southern latitudes of the Pacific Ocean. After the astronomical observations were completed, Cook sailed south to 40°S, but failed to find any land.

Also to know is, what did James Cook discover on his second voyage?

Homeward voyage After passing Cape Horn, Cook explored the vast South Atlantic looking for another coastline that had been predicted by Dalrymple. When this failed to materialize they turned north and discovered an island that they named South Georgia.

Additionally, what did James Cook discover? James Cook was a naval captain, navigator and explorer who, in 1770, charted New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia on his ship HMB Endeavour. He later disproved the existence of Terra Australis, a fabled southern continent.

Secondly, who sent James Cook on his first voyage?

The first voyage of James Cook was a combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific Ocean aboard HMS Endeavour, from 1768 to 1771.

Who sent Captain Cook on his first voyage and why?

In 1768, when Captain James Cook set sail on the first of three voyages to the South Seas, he carried with him secret orders from the British Admiralty to seek 'a Continent or Land of great extent' and to take possession of that country 'in the Name of the King of Great Britain'.

39 Related Question Answers Found

How many times did Captain Cook cross the Arctic Circle?

James Cook (1770), The British Library, Add Ms 27885, f. 55. Cook and his crew would cross the Antarctic Circle three times during this voyage, and on its third attempt on the 30 January made their most southerly penetration but were ultimately forced back due to the solid sea ice.

Where did Cook go on his second voyage?

Captain Cook Timeline - Second Voyage 1772- 1775. In July 1772 Resolution, commanded by Captain Cook, and Discovery, commanded by Lieutenant Furneaux, set sail from Britain, via Madiera (Jul-Aug) and Cape Town, South Africa (Oct-Nov), towards the Antarctic in search of the Great Southern Continent.

Who discovered Australia?

The first known landing in Australia by Europeans was by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1606. Later that year, Spanish explorer Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through, and navigated, Torres Strait islands.

How many miles did Captain Cook travel?

These he named the South Sandwich Islands. After a week of exploration in them, he turned north for England, reaching England on July 30, 1775. The voyage lasted three years and eight days covering more than 60,000 miles. Cook had proved there was no southern continent unless it was at the pole itself.

How many voyages did James Cook go on?

three

What was the name of James Cook's ship?

HM Bark Endeavour

When did James Cook visit Easter Island?

March 1774

When did Captain James Cook circumnavigate Antarctica?

The first explorer to circumnavigate Antarctica was James Cook, who made three voyages from 1772 to 1775. He crossed the Antarctic Circle four times, making his first official crossing in January, 1773.

Why was cook killed in Hawaii?

Cook was attacked and killed in 1779 during his third exploratory voyage in the Pacific while attempting to kidnap the Island of Hawaii's monarch, Kalaniʻōpuʻu, in order to reclaim a cutter stolen from one of his ships.

Why did James Cook choose to travel?

Cook set off for his first journey on August 26, 1768. His main objective was to observe the planet Venus as it passed between the Earth and the Sun. This would help astronomers to calculate the distance of the Sun from the Earth. He also hoped to find the fabled southern continent.

Where did cook sail from?

Endeavour left New Zealand and sailed along the east coast of New Holland, or Australia, heading north (April-August 1770). Cook started to chart the east coast and on 29th April landed for the first time in what Cook called Stingray, later, Botany Bay.

What is Captain Cook most famous for?

The English explorer, navigator, and cartographer James Cook (1728-1779) is famous for his voyages in the Pacific Ocean and his accurate mapping of it, as well as for his application of scientific methods to exploration. James Cook was born in Yorkshire on Oct. 27, 1728, into a poor family.

Who killed James Cook?

Captain Cook killed in Hawaii. On February 14, 1779, Captain James Cook, the great English explorer and navigator, is killed by natives of Hawaii during his third visit to the Pacific island group.

Who sent James Cook to Australia?

Lieutenant James Cook, captain of HMB Endeavour, claimed the eastern portion of the Australian continent for the British Crown in 1770, naming it New South Wales.

Who was Captain Cook's first mate?

The Crew of Cook's First Voyage 1768-1771

	HMB Endeavour
Captain	James Cook
Lieutenants	Zachary Hicks
	John Gore
Midshipmen	Charles Clerke

Where did Captain Cook go on his third voyage?

James Cook's third and final voyage (12 July 1776 – 4 October 1780) took the route from Plymouth via Cape Town and Tenerife to New Zealand and the Hawaiian Islands, and along the North American coast to the Bering Strait.

Where did James Cook go on his first voyage?

First voyage

In May 1768 Cook was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and given command of the bark Endeavour. He was instructed to sail to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus in 1769 and also to ascertain whether a continent existed in the southern latitudes of the Pacific Ocean.