epic voyages: james cook

The Journey to Australia(Cook)

After viewing the passing of Venus between the earth and sun for several weeks, Cook opened a sealed envelope with the Royal Navy's orders. He was to seek out the southern continent and claim it for England. Early mapmakers in the 1100%s assumed there were two major continents at each of the earth's poles. Dutch explorers searched for the southern continent in the seventeenth century. Since the continents had not yet been found, the Royal Navy trusted that Cook would find the southern one if it existed. He left Tahiti on July 13 and headed southwest.

New Zealand was reached by Cook's expedition in early October 1769. The sailors landed at Poverty Bay. There they first encountered the warlike Maoris. Cook spent four months sailing around the North Island, landing frequently. Maoris at Queen Charlotte Sound proved less hostile. But the Englishmen were shocked to find that they were cannibals, and that they preserved their enemies' heads as trophies.

Cook then circled the South Island, proving New Zealand to be two large islands, and not part of a southern continent. He sailed around both islands in six months. Experts have marvelled at Cook's speed and thoroughness in surveying New Zealand.

Cook set a westerly course from New Zealand. He intended to pick up Tasman's route where the Dutch navigator left Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania). But a southerly gale drove the Endeavour towards the then unknown east coast of Australia. Early in the morning of April 20, 1770, the officer on watch, Zachary Hicks, sighted land. This sighting occurred near the present border of Victoria and New South Wales. Cook named the spot Point Hicks. Turning north, he proceeded to chart and name the main features along Australia's eastern seaboard. Later, he called the whole area of land New South Wales because he thought it looked like the shore of Wales.

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