restlessly, Europeans have penetrated remotest areas of globe, greedy for knowledge, land and gold. And yet re are huge white spots on map in 18th century. One of m is Sourn Pacific, where many experts suspect a vast continent. One paints a dream empire of gold and honey. The fact that re is a blue desert, dotted with islands and islets, is what Europeans know thanks to him: James Cook.
Nothing speaks of fact that he ascends to most famous Englishman of epoch. What is to become of son of a environment at time when stands and classes are fixed? 1728 He is born in a town called Marton, now part of norast English city of Middlesbrough. After all, smart boy can go to school for a couple of years, financed by farmer, where far is going. He breaks a shopkeeper's lesson.
I'd rar go to sea! The adventure lures. At age of 18 he hires a coal truck and soon goes to Royal Navy, where not only origin, but also talent and deeds are in demand: this is his chance. He ascends quickly, completes test of helmsman, receives a command as captain, forming himself an excellent cartographers. Hardly any or sailor has his horizon, his knowledge.
Then, in May 1768, breakthrough takes place for nearly forty-year-old: he is to lead a scientific expedition to Sourn Pacific. The research trip is an idea of Royal Society, but against ir will, Admiralty Cook is commissioned with direction. Thus she prefers man of plain origin to his rival Alexander Dalrymple from Fine Home (and of less fine manners), who does not tire of argue over great sublime.
Cook's mission: He is to measure from South Pacific extremely rare passage of Venus from sun in order to be able to calculate distances in solar system. A second secret order is in a sealed document that Cook can only open while driving: exploration of South Pacific and search for sublime.
This text comes from Special edition contemporary History Panorama.It is a command under eyes of King and nation, it is about pride and power of British Empire. In Age of Enlightenment, rulers and states no longer compete only with pomp and splendor, and science increasingly promises prestige. And aspiring Britain wants to hold down or colonial powers, descending like Spain and Portugal anyway, certainly younger ones like Nerlands and France.
On August 26, 1768, Endeavour stands in sea, a 340-ton former coal transporter of 32 metres in length. On board are 73 seamen and twelve members of Royal Navy. Besides – and this is new – a large number of scientists are travelling with m, including Joseph Banks, a young wealthy botanist who pays a lot of money for his participation. Also on board: several barrels of sauerkraut. This is Cook's secret recipe against scurvy, grisly deficiency sickness of seamen. Although crew grumbles on food, no one is affected by insidious suffering.
In January 1769, we pass Cape Horn in endless expanse of Pacific, with a course in Tahiti, which was discovered only shortly before. King George Island, as English called island back n, is known as Paradise, above all: As a men's paradise. The Polynesian women, from point of view of Europeans, embody not only an exotic but also an erotic ideal. Many from crew sink during three-month stay in a one, "paid" is made with ship nails. Meanwhile, Cook and his team are measuring Venus passage after y have recovered a quadrant stolen from locals, with which position of stars is determined.
Date Of Update: 05 May 2018, 12:03
