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Explorers of Canada, Part XXIII: James Cook

© David Newman

James Cook is one of the most famous explorers along with names such as Cartier, Cabot and Columbus.

James Cook was born in Marton, Yorkshire, England, October 27, 1728. He was one of a large family born to a day labourer. At the age of 18, he was an apprentice on a shipping company owned by Walker Family from Whitby, before he joined the British Navy at the age of 27 in 1755. He is most known for his Pacific Island discoveries and his exploration of Australia, yet Cook has also done his job in North America, exploring the coast of British Columbia.

Actually his first job had much to do with Canada as he was asked by the Navy to map out the area of Quebec before Wolfe's offensive in 1759. He also later did a survey of the Island of New Found Land. His surveys were so well done that they were continuously used until the turn of the last century (XXth).

In 1768 he became commander of the vessel Endeavour, which in 1769 passed Cape of Good Hope and reached Tahiti. He proceeded to chart the Islands of New Zealand and claimed possession for Britain of the eastern coast of New Holland (Australia), as it was uncharted by the Dutch at the time. He returned to England with almost half his crew, the rest having perished to disease.

He left England in 1772 for his second Pacific journey with Resolution and Adventure. He tried to reach Antarctica, which was believed to exist. However, he was stopped from reaching it by ice and concluded that even if it really did exist, it would be a wasteland, and not a productive colony to the Empire. After only one out of 118 succumbed to disease, his diet reforms of serving more fruits to stop scurvy was adopted by other ships. Cook became a distinguished man and was awarded the Copley Gold Medal and became a member of the Royal Society.

His third voyage made a direct north turn after passing the Cape of Good Hope in order to explore the coast of North America. He ventured around Vancouver Island and the Canadian west coast. After leaving North America he visited and discovered islands in the Pacific Ocean. On one Hawaiian island, he got into an argument with the chief and fighting began. Cook was shot in the melee, and the natives, realizing he was not a god, are supposed to have beaten him to death although there are many different versions of the events of that day, February 14, 1779. The crew returned home on the Resolution.