10 little-known facts about the famous captain James Cook

James Cook was a navigator who, in his short life, managed to win the love of his friends and respect for his enemies. Researchers-contemporaries were surprised by its efficiency and productivity. He made two round-the-world voyages, was able to supplement the world maps and explore the southern islands of the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic ice. Almost 150 years have passed since his ship Endeavor (Endeavor, which means "effort") first approached the eastern shore of Australia. Below are 10 little-known facts about Captain Cook who, at the dawn of his career, promised to swim "as far as possible".

1. Cook went to serve in the fleet relatively late

Before leaving for the fleet, Cook worked on a farm in Yorkshire. At the age of 17, he joined the trading flotilla, the ship of the Walker brothers. He sailed on various ships of the company for almost 10 years, tirelessly studying cartography, geography, mathematics and navigation. James Cook refused the place of the captain of the merchant vessel and instead enlisted in the Royal Navy as a simple sailor. Cook was 26 years old. The command almost immediately appreciated the talent and experience of the new recruit and two years later Cook became a master, and a few years later he received command of his own ship.

2. He was a skilful cartographer

During the Seven Years' War, the cartographic expertise of James Cook helped Britain win the battle for Quebec. In 1760, on his own ship, he explored the island of Newfoundland, off the coast of Canada. The map that Cook created was so accurate that it was used until the middle of the 20th century. Captain Cook's skills in navigation and navigation became the main arsenal of his research activities. He was allowed to go on a round-the-world journey on his own ship in large part because he was able, like nobody else, to navigate in unfamiliar waters.

3. The first round-the-world tour of Captain Cook was in fact a secret mission

The first exploratory expedition of Captain Cook began in August 1768, the British government entrusted to his command the ship Endeavor, which numbered about a hundred crew. Officially, the trip had a scientific purpose - to observe the passage of Venus in solar orbit, but in fact the captain had an additional task - to carry out the search for the "Great Southern Continent". According to the assumptions, this terrestrial massif was far to the south. Cook swam to the 40th parallel, but did not find any hint of the continent. He swam around New Zealand, proving that in fact these are two islands that are not connected to each other. During his second round-the-world trip, Cook continued his search for the Southern continent. In 1770, he swam incredibly close to Antarctica, but heavy ice forced him to turn back.

4. Endeavor almost sank on the Great Barrier Reef

After his first journey, Cook decided to sail from Australia to the north. As he chose unknown waters, the ship sailed straight to the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. June 11, 1770 "Endeavor" was pierced and began to fill with water. His team, frightened by the collapse, began to fight with the leak and even throw heavy guns and barrels into the sea. The team covered the hole for more than twenty hours, after which Endeavor returned to the Australian harbor. After 2 months of repair, the ship was again ready to sail from the coast.

5. James Cook used new methods of preventing scurvy

In the XVIII century, any long journey was accompanied by a deadly disease - scurvy, but Cook could avoid her appearance on all three of her long-term expeditions. Captain Cook tried to get fresh food at every stop. In addition, he noticed that the constant consumption of rich in vitamins sour cabbage reduces the risk of disease. During preparation for the expeditions, Cook was stocked with tons of cabbage. The only problem was getting the sailors to eat this unusual dish. Cook went to the trick and asked the cooks to serve daily cabbage to the officer's desk. The sailors, seeing that the command is eating this dish, began to ask themselves to add it to their diet.

6. Even the enemies of Britain respected Captain Cook

Despite the fact that Cook's travels took place at a time when Britain was at war with several states, including the United States, Spain and France, his reputation as an outstanding navigator and explorer allowed him to swim in enemy waters in comparative safety. In July 1772, during the second round-the-world trip, the Spanish squadron briefly detained his ships, but realizing that their captain was Cook, they let the ship go.

7. Captain Cook was searching for the northwest passage

In 1776, at the age of 47, Cook went to his third research expedition. This time his goal was to find the north-west passage connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Having circled half the globe, Cook's ships headed for the northern shores of Western Canada and Alaska. Cook reached almost to the aisle, not reaching only 50 miles. Further searches were impossible due to the rapidly advancing ice. Extreme conditions, among which were strong currents and many heavy icebergs, led the team to a strike before the strike. Seeing the mood of his sailors, Cook had to go back.

8. Hawaiian natives took Captain Cook for God

During the third journey, James Cook became the first European to set foot on the Hawaiian Islands. An incredible coincidence was that the arrival of the Royal Navy ships in Hawaii coincided with the annual feast in honor of the fertility god. Since the local population has never seen the white people or the huge ships on which they sailed, Cook and his companions were mistaken for the gods, who decided to descend and receive gifts. Europeans greedily greeted both gifts and food, virtually depriving the natives of provisions. Their "divine" life ended when one of the sailors died of a heart attack. The natives saw that strange white people were not immortal. Since then, the relationship between Captain Cook and the Hawaiian tribes has been severely strained.

9. Captain James Cook was killed by a terrible death

In 1779 Captain Cook's ships were forced to stop for repairs in the bay of the Hawaiian Islands. By that time, local residents began to treat host Europeans very hostile. After the aborigines stole a longboat from one of the ships, the captain lost his composure and descended to the land with a demand to return the property. Cook and a small group of armed men tried to take the leader, but the locals arrived in time to help. Trying to drive the local population away from the captain and his men, they began firing guns on board ships, which even more frightened and angered the natives. Cook rushed back to the boats, but did not manage to reach them. The natives threw stones at him, and after catching up, they began beating him with heavy wooden clubs. The leader, whom the captain was trying to capture, wounded Cook with a knife. After the local population realized that the captain was dead, they prepared the explorer's body for burial with honors worthy of the king.

10. NASA named its shuttles in honor of Captain Cook's ships

During his life, Cook explored and mapped an incredible number of areas, more than any other seafarer of the XVIII century. His incredible achievements have amazed not only the sailors, but also scientists and engineers of NASA. The third space shuttle NASA was named after the third ship of the Discovery Cook. Their last shuttle was named "Endeavor", in honor of the first ship of Captain Cook, on which he made his first trip around the world.