Captain Cook

Posted by John Blatchford Dec 30, 2007

Captain James Cook made three Pacific voyages 1768-71, 1772-75 and 1776-80. He sailed in sturdy ships built in Whitby (the Endeavour on the first voyage, and the Resolution on the last two). He charted New Zealand and Eastern Australia, mapped the Pacific coastline of America and sorted out the geography of much of Polynesia - including the Cook Islands. While he is best known for this navigational work his voyages also contributed much to astronomy, botany, anthropology as well as other branches of science.

Scurvy

Captain Cook lost few sailors on his long voyages at a time when scurvy usually killed many. He did not actually discover vitamin C or its role in the disease, but he fed his crews fresh vegetables and regularly gave them orange juice to drink. (Much later the British Navy was to realise the importance of oranges and keep them in barrels onboard naval vessels. They were packed and stored green to confuse enemies. They were mistaken for limes – hence the slang word ‘Limeys’, originally used for British sailors and later applied to all Brits!).

Whitby

Cook’s three major expeditions began in Whitby, and his two best known ships were built there – but he was not born there and rarely stayed in the town. Cook’s life was an interesting one, and he rose from humble origins to become a famous naval sea-captain. Along the way he was a grocer, common sailor and merchant seaman.

I live half the year in Great Ayton (where Cook grew up) and am surrounded by memories of him – so writing about some of his discoveries is only natural!