James Cook: A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History

Author:Hourly History [History, Hourly]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Hourly History
Published: 2017-08-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

Cook’s Third Voyage (1776-1779)

“Independent thinkers are usually geniuses or idiots and at times it's hard to tell which.”

—James Cook

In 1775, James Cook started his work as post-captain at Greenwich Hospital. This was a job with a comfortable income and minimal duties; he was set for life without having to do very much else. There was no need for him to set off on another adventure.

But Cook seemed restless and wanted further achievements, and the Admiralty of the Royal Navy were keen on sending him on another expedition. They were acutely aware of his skills and believed that if anyone could find the Northwest Passage they were looking for, it would be him. The Royal Navy had no way of knowing, however, that Cook had changed inexplicably since his last journey and that this expedition was doomed to fail.

The Northwest Passage is a passage of water at the top of North America in the Arctic that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Europeans were eager to find it, as it would mean that mariners would be able to travel to the Pacific and Eastern regions of the globe (such as China) without undergoing the long and treacherous journey around the southern tip of Africa. If the Northwest Passage existed, it would mean that the route to China and India would be much shorter and quicker. One of the many reasons that this was important at the time was the British love of tea, a commodity grown in the East.

Still, the Northwest Passage was a matter of contention. Some people doubted that it even existed, and it had certainly never been found or successfully passed through. Therefore, the Admiralty were eager to send Cook on a voyage to search for—and hopefully pass through—the passage. Cook also had an additional incentive to sail; Omai, the Tahitian that he and Banks had brought to England, wanted to return home to Tahiti.

In 1776, Cook was preparing to sail the Resolution once again. The ship had been repaired, but unfortunately, Cook did not make himself present at the shipyard where the restoration was carried out. He had always supervised such activities in the past, and that had been a key factor in the safety and success of his expeditions. It is believed that this lapse was due to Cook being busy writing about his second voyage.

Just like during that second journey, the Resolution was not to sail alone. It would be accompanied by Cook’s smallest ship, a vessel called the Discovery. At the king’s request, both the Resolution and the Discovery carried a substantial amount of livestock. The animals were likely meant for future settlers in New Zealand. This is believed to have annoyed Cook and created complications in the journey.

Before the third voyage began officially, the Resolution made its way via the Canary Islands to South Africa’s Cape Town to join with theDiscovery. Then, with James Cook commanding theResolution, and Charles Clerke behind the wheel of the Discovery, the two ships set off together for New Zealand in December 1776.

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