James Cook: a brief biography and expeditions

The future navigator James Cook was born in 1728 in England, in the family of a former farmhand. After he was educated, the young man got a job as a cabin boy on his first ship.

Beginning of service in the fleet

Even in his early youth, Cook decided that he would devote his life to the sea. In his free time, he studied related sciences - geography, astronomy and the history of research of new lands. In 1755 the Royal Navy accepted a new sailor. They were James Cook. A short biography of the man included career growth from a simple sailor to a boatswain in just a month of service.

At this time, the Seven Years War began against France and its allies. Cook participated in the battles on the ship "Eagle" and the blockade of the enemy coast. In 1758, he was sent to North America, where a struggle for colonies and resources continued between the two great maritime powers. At that time, Cook was a master - assistant captain. He, as a specialist in cartography, was instructed to investigate the channel and the channel of the St. Lawrence River. On its banks stood the important city of Quebec, which the British wanted to capture.

The master successfully coped with his task, thanks to which the storm took place and the capture of an important fortress. The Royal Navy was vitally important to such specialists as James Cook, whose brief biography received a new round. After returning to his homeland, he began to prepare for his first round-the-world trip.

The first expedition

The state allocated to Kuku a small ship "Endeavor". On it an experienced sailor had to explore the southern seas to find an unknown continent, which supposedly was in those extreme latitudes. The team was also credited with experienced specialists - botanists and astronomers. This team was supposed to be led by James Cook, whose short biography attracts numerous readers today.

In 1768, he left the port of Plymouth to find himself in Tahiti. The captain differed in that he introduced a strict discipline on the ship regarding attitude to the natives. The command was given an order not to enter into conflict with the savages, but, on the contrary, to try to build peaceful relations. This was contrary to the customary practice of the colonialists, when the local population was massacred or enslaved. This was opposed by the traveler James Cook. A brief biography of the captain does not contain the facts that he ever initiated a conflict with the natives.

New Zealand and Australia

After Tahiti, New Zealand was followed, carefully examined by James Cook. A brief biography of the navigator in each textbook includes a detailed description of his activities as a cartographer. He described in detail each coast, past which he sailed. His cards were used for another hundred years. On Endeavor, he opened the bay, which he named the Queen Charlotte Bay. The captain's name received a strait separating the two islands of New Zealand.

The eastern coast of Australia met a team of unprecedented plant species. Because of this, the bay in this region was called the Botanical Gulf. Europeans were amazed at the local fauna, including the wild kangaroos. June 11, 1770 the ship received a serious hole on the reef, which greatly slowed the expedition.

When the leak was sealed, Endeavor traveled to Indonesia. There the sailors became infected with malaria. The sanitary conditions of the then voyages had the potential to spread epidemics. However, thanks to the observance of the rules of hygiene and changing the diet, Kuku managed to overcome the scurvy, the scourge of many sailors. But against malaria and dysentery, there was still no effective remedy. Therefore, when Endeavor finally found itself in Cape Town, only 12 people remained on board, including Cook.

The first expedition proved that New Zealand is two islands. The main goal (the southern mainland) was never found. The map was detailed on the east coast of Australia.

The second expedition

In 1772, a new expedition was launched, led by James Cook. A brief biography for children contains many fascinating travel details that attract little readers. Basically, these are descriptions of amazing plants and animals of tropical fauna.

Cooke's first goal was Bouvet Island, which had previously been seen from afar by a Norwegian expedition. However, the desired piece of land was never found, after which the team went further to the south. In January 1773, "Resolution" and "Adventure" for the first time in the history of research crossed the Southern Arctic Circle. Due to severe weather conditions, two ships even lost sight of each other for a short time.

After a long voyage the expedition headed to Tahiti and Hua Hin. There, the English were confronted with the aggressive behavior of the natives and even cannibalism. In the future, Cook was heading strictly to the east, opening New Caledonia and South Georgia. Nevertheless, he never managed to reach the coast of Antarctica. It was there that James Cook sought. The biography, the brief content of which captivates with bright adventures, has become the subject of research by numerous historians.

The last expedition

In 1776 a new expedition began. This was the last journey led by James Cook. The biography, which has a brief content in all geography textbooks, includes such an interesting chapter. This time the captain received two ships - "Resolution" and "Discovery".

On December 24, 1777, the expedition opened the Christmas Island, named after the coming holiday. Here the sailors succeeded in seeing the solar eclipse. In advance of his offensive, James Cook, whose brief biography included also long days of studying astronomy.

Death

In January, Europeans first saw the Hawaiian Islands. Here they rested, after which they went to the shores of Alaska and the Chukchi Sea. On the way, the ships crossed the Arctic Circle. In the Aleutian Islands, Cook met with Russian researchers and industrialists.

From the polar seas the team returned to Hawaii. She was met by a crowd of about one thousand aborigines. With the locals there were constant conflicts, because of what they attacked the British. In one of the attacks on February 14, 1779, James Cook was killed. A very brief biography of this navigator should be known to any educated and erudite person. The captain became the national hero of Great Britain.