The Endeavour in full sail
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Cook's sextant
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The route of Cook's 1st voyage
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Planning for the necessities for Captain Cook’s three voyages and those of his scientists, artists and companions, and crew
The first voyage of Lieutenant James Cook was a combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific Ocean aboard HMB Endeavour, from 1768 to 1771. It was the first of three Pacific voyages of which Cook was the commander. The aims of this first expedition were to observe the 1769 Transit of Venus across the Sun (3–4 June of that year), and to seek evidence of the Terra Australis Incognita or "unknown southern land".
The voyage was commissioned by King George III and commanded by James Cook, a junior naval officer with good skills in cartography and mathematics (he was later promoted to Captain).
His Majesty's Bark, HMB Endeavour, was supplied with ten 4-pounder cannons and twelve swivel guns, for defence against native attack while in the Pacific. It was the only ship to venture on this voyage (later voyages sailed with minimum of two ships).
Provisions loaded at the outset of the voyage included 6,000 pieces of pork and 4,000 of beef, nine tons of bread, five tons of flour, three tons of sauerkraut, one ton of raisins and sundry quantities of cheese, salt, peas, oil, sugar and oatmeal. Alcohol supplies consisted of 250 barrels of beer, 44 barrels of brandy and 17 barrels of rum.
Sir Joseph Banks ensured that his party was well equipped for collecting, studying and preserving natural history specimens, and took 'a fine Library of Natural History … all sorts of machines for catching and preserving insects; all kinds of nets, trawls, drags and hooks for coral fishing … a curious contrivance of a telescope, by which, put into the water, you can see the bottom to a great depth, where it is clear … many cases of bottles with ground stoppers, of several sizes, to preserve animals in spirits … several sorts of salts to surround the seeds; and wax, both beeswax and that of Myrica'. Solander asserted that Banks's contribution to the expedition would amount to £10,000. As well as collecting a multitude of plant specimens, Banks recorded his general impressions of the Australian east coast, noting plants, insects, molluscs, reptiles, birds, fish, quadrupeds, etc. as well as Aboriginal customs.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_voyage_of_James_Cook#Preparations_and_personnel
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/banks-sir-joseph-1737
Following is an outline of the forward thinking that was required for all long voyages at the time:
Navigating – charting material for mapping new territory; instruments for navigation such as the sextant and the chronometer (used on his later voyages); log books and charts of other world navigators.
Planning for suitable ports of call to take on supplies and pre-arranged credit.
Botanising – jars, soil, pots, seed containers for the scientists.
Provisioning – potable water, wine and rum rations, livestock, and barrels of preserved food.
Health – sauerkraut, lemons to prevent scurvy, vegetables where available – finding suitable fruit and plants on the journey.
Repairing – skills, equipment.
Trading – mirrors, nails, axes, cloth.
Conflict resolution – set rules for conduct.
Body language, communication skills – not familiar with languages of Pacific Islanders, Indians, Alaskans.
The above list is courtesy of member, Jane Ann Tainsh
The first voyage of Lieutenant James Cook was a combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific Ocean aboard HMB Endeavour, from 1768 to 1771. It was the first of three Pacific voyages of which Cook was the commander. The aims of this first expedition were to observe the 1769 Transit of Venus across the Sun (3–4 June of that year), and to seek evidence of the Terra Australis Incognita or "unknown southern land".
The voyage was commissioned by King George III and commanded by James Cook, a junior naval officer with good skills in cartography and mathematics (he was later promoted to Captain).
His Majesty's Bark, HMB Endeavour, was supplied with ten 4-pounder cannons and twelve swivel guns, for defence against native attack while in the Pacific. It was the only ship to venture on this voyage (later voyages sailed with minimum of two ships).
Provisions loaded at the outset of the voyage included 6,000 pieces of pork and 4,000 of beef, nine tons of bread, five tons of flour, three tons of sauerkraut, one ton of raisins and sundry quantities of cheese, salt, peas, oil, sugar and oatmeal. Alcohol supplies consisted of 250 barrels of beer, 44 barrels of brandy and 17 barrels of rum.
Sir Joseph Banks ensured that his party was well equipped for collecting, studying and preserving natural history specimens, and took 'a fine Library of Natural History … all sorts of machines for catching and preserving insects; all kinds of nets, trawls, drags and hooks for coral fishing … a curious contrivance of a telescope, by which, put into the water, you can see the bottom to a great depth, where it is clear … many cases of bottles with ground stoppers, of several sizes, to preserve animals in spirits … several sorts of salts to surround the seeds; and wax, both beeswax and that of Myrica'. Solander asserted that Banks's contribution to the expedition would amount to £10,000. As well as collecting a multitude of plant specimens, Banks recorded his general impressions of the Australian east coast, noting plants, insects, molluscs, reptiles, birds, fish, quadrupeds, etc. as well as Aboriginal customs.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_voyage_of_James_Cook#Preparations_and_personnel
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/banks-sir-joseph-1737
Following is an outline of the forward thinking that was required for all long voyages at the time:
Navigating – charting material for mapping new territory; instruments for navigation such as the sextant and the chronometer (used on his later voyages); log books and charts of other world navigators.
Planning for suitable ports of call to take on supplies and pre-arranged credit.
Botanising – jars, soil, pots, seed containers for the scientists.
Provisioning – potable water, wine and rum rations, livestock, and barrels of preserved food.
Health – sauerkraut, lemons to prevent scurvy, vegetables where available – finding suitable fruit and plants on the journey.
Repairing – skills, equipment.
Trading – mirrors, nails, axes, cloth.
Conflict resolution – set rules for conduct.
Body language, communication skills – not familiar with languages of Pacific Islanders, Indians, Alaskans.
The above list is courtesy of member, Jane Ann Tainsh
Ship being loaded at port
Images sourced from the internet
© Arthur Phillip Chapter of the Fellowship of First Fleeters 2021- |
Cross-section of under deck of the Endeavour:
368 tons, over-all length 30 metres, a draught of some 14 feet when fully laden.
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The Dockyards at Deptford, London.
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