Cook's first Pacific voyage

Cook's first Pacific voyage

In 1768, the navy appointed Cook to lead a scientific expedition to Tahiti, a Pacific island. His ship, the Endeavour, sailed from England in August and reached Tahiti in April 1769. There, the scientists on the expedition watched the planet Venus pass between the earth and the sun. This observation was the main goal of the voyage. However, Cook also had secret orders to seek an unknown continent in the South Pacific. Geographers had long believed that a southern continent kept the world in balance. But Cook did not find it.

In October, Cook became the first European to visit New Zealand. In April 1770, the Endeavour sailed into Botany Bay on the east coast of Australia. Cook claimed the entire coast for Great Britain. He returned to England in July 1771. During the voyage, Cook became the first ship commander to prevent an outbreak of scurvy, a disease that had long plagued sailors. Cook had heard reports that scurvy was caused by a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. He served his sailors fruit and sauerkraut to help prevent the disease.

Excerpt adapted from the "James Cook" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999