James Cook, the British navigator and explorer, rose from humble beginnings to become the most legendary seaman of his time. Moreover, he discovered and accurately charted the entire coastline of New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and he was also the first person to explore the Antarctic region.
Born on 27th October 1728, at Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, James Cook was the son of a Scottish farm worker, and he spent most of his childhood on a farm near Great Ayton, where he attended the village school.
In 1744 James moved to Staithes as an apprentice in the shop of William Sanderson. However, It was not long before 16-year old James became fascinated by seafaring tales and of becoming a seaman, and Sanderson realised that the youngster’s heart was not in shopkeeping. Furthermore, in July 1746 he found Cook an apprenticeship in the merchant navy with Captain John Walker, a Quaker coal-shipper of Whitby.
During his three year apprenticeship, transporting coal to and from Whitby, James Cook became proficient in mathematics and navigation. In 1755 Captain Walker offered him a command, but Cook decided to join the Royal Navy instead, and within a month he was master’s mate aboard HMS Eagle. Two years later, he became the master of HMS Pembroke, which …show more content…
His mission was to observe the transit of Venus across the face of the sun from Tahiti, although he also had sealed orders instructing him to find the ‘Great Southern Continent’ for which he found no evidence. Nevertheless, his search led to the discovery of New Zealand and Australia. During his second voyage in 1772-75 Cook’s ships crossed the Antarctic circle numerous times, but the intense cold forced them to turn back. However, he dispelled the myth of an undiscovered southern continent, and on his return to England, he became the first person to circumnavigate the world in both
Born on 27th October 1728, at Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, James Cook was the son of a Scottish farm worker, and he spent most of his childhood on a farm near Great Ayton, where he attended the village school.
In 1744 James moved to Staithes as an apprentice in the shop of William Sanderson. However, It was not long before 16-year old James became fascinated by seafaring tales and of becoming a seaman, and Sanderson realised that the youngster’s heart was not in shopkeeping. Furthermore, in July 1746 he found Cook an apprenticeship in the merchant navy with Captain John Walker, a Quaker coal-shipper of Whitby.
During his three year apprenticeship, transporting coal to and from Whitby, James Cook became proficient in mathematics and navigation. In 1755 Captain Walker offered him a command, but Cook decided to join the Royal Navy instead, and within a month he was master’s mate aboard HMS Eagle. Two years later, he became the master of HMS Pembroke, which …show more content…
His mission was to observe the transit of Venus across the face of the sun from Tahiti, although he also had sealed orders instructing him to find the ‘Great Southern Continent’ for which he found no evidence. Nevertheless, his search led to the discovery of New Zealand and Australia. During his second voyage in 1772-75 Cook’s ships crossed the Antarctic circle numerous times, but the intense cold forced them to turn back. However, he dispelled the myth of an undiscovered southern continent, and on his return to England, he became the first person to circumnavigate the world in both