Publisher's Synopsis
James Cook FRS (1728-79) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy. He made detailed maps of Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, during which he achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand. Having served in the merchant navy in his teens, he joined the Royal Navy in 1755 and saw action in the Seven Years' War, subsequently surveying and mapping the entrance to the St Lawrence River during the Siege of Quebec. This brought him to the attention of the Admiralty and the Royal Society, leading to his commission in 1766 as commander of HM Bark Endeavour for the first of three Pacific voyages during which he sailed thousands of miles across uncharted areas of the globe. He displayed a combination of seamanship, superior surveying and cartographic skills, physical courage, and an ability to lead men in adverse conditions. Cook was attacked and killed in 1779 during his third exploratory voyage, leaving a legacy of scientific and geographical knowledge that influenced his successors well into the 20th century. This is the fourth volume of the seven volume record of Cook's three voyages around the world, being the Second of the Second Voyage (1772-1775), first published in 1821. Includes three black and white illustrations.
