Page 66 - All About History - Issue 29-15

Heroes & Villains
CAPTAIN JAMES COOK

Enemies

Hawaiian natives
Although the Hawaiians
treated Cook as a god when
he arrived on the island, his
relationship with the natives
soured quite quickly. This
culminated in Cook being
fatally wounded when he
arrested a Hawaiian king
followingthetheftofoneof While in Tahiti, Cook witnessed
his boats. the practice of human sacrifice
Joseph Banks
The famed botanist travelled
with Cook and collected
plants on the captain’s first
trip to Tahiti, New Zealand and
Australia. However, he didn’t
join the second journey after
he and Cook had a falling out;
all because the captain didn’t
allow Banks to have an extra
deck on the ship.
Aborigines
The natives of Australia did
not appreciate Cook and his
crew’s arrival on their lands. It
was reported that as the fleet
arrived in Botany Bay, the
Aborigines threw their spears
at the ships. Cook’s time
in Australia was marred by
TwoofCaptainCook’sexpedition
distrust and aggression from
ships–ResolutionandAdventure–
both sides.
inMatavaiBay,Tahiti
voyage, although there was also a keen interest in
exploring the rumoured Southern Continent. Also “He gained a reputation as a responsible
on board the ship were the astronomer Dr Charles
Green and botanist Joseph Banks, who were tasked and caring ship commander”
with observing the transit of Venus and collecting
exotic plants respectively.
Cook set out from Plymouth in August 1768 Only a year later Cook was off again, this North America. On their way they sighted Hawaii,
and landed in Tahiti, the largest island in French time with the ships Resolution and Adventure, but didn’t stop off. The two ships continued their
Polynesia in the South Pacific. He was able to attempting to discover more of Australia. In journey towards Alaska and through the Bering
observe the Transit of Venus across the Sun January 1773, he crossed over the Strait, but were barred from going any further by
to achieve his primary mission, and Antarctic Circle, where the bitter thick Arctic ice.
then pushed further west to New temperatures were too cold and They headed back to Hawaii in January 1778,
Zealand. He circumnavigated the Cook they were forced to turn back. where they were greeted with complete reverence.
island before becoming the first hasnodirect However, they did manage to By a stroke of luck, Cook and his men arrived on
European to reach the east return to New Zealand and Hawaii as the islanders were celebrating a festival
coast of Australia in 1770. descendants as Tahiti as well as discover based around the legend of the sea god Lono. The
While Cook had been his six children died Easter Island and Tonga, natives believed Cook to be a god and the sailors
greeted warmly by the and confirm that a giant were looked after extremely well. They attempted
Tahitians, the Aborigines of without having southern super-continent to leave the island in February, but had to return
Australia were not so happy children of their didn’t in fact exist. swiftly because of damage to Resolution. When
to see the crew, attacking the Cook’s third and final the time came for them to leave again, a dispute
Endeavour with spears. The own voyage saw him return to broke out over a boat stolen from one of the ships.
ship’s greater firepower proved North America as he searched Cook tried to kidnap a local leader as a hostage
decisive, however, and Cook came once again for a mythical site. This for negotiation, leading to a skirmish in which
ashore at Botany Bay, claiming the land time he was looking for the North-West Cook was fatally stabbed on 14 February 1778 at
for Britain and naming it New South Wales. Passage, a much-discussed route through North Kealakekua Bay. He was buried at sea and the crew
After further exploration, Cook and his crew AmericathatlinkedtheAtlanticand Pacific oceans. returned home to confirm the non-existence of the
triumphantly returned home to Britain after almost Once again Cook sailed via Australia, New Zealand North-West Passage and announce the death of one
exactly three years away. andTahitibeforetravellingupthe western coast of of the country’s greatest sailors and explorers.
66