Captain cook biography book

James Cook is arguably the most famous navigator in the world, discovering and charting coastlines from the Arctic to the Antarctic, the east coast of Australia to the west coast of North America, and hundreds of islands in between. His voyages led to the identification of thousands of new plants and animals as well as important astronomical observations that furthered our understanding of our world. In an era when 50% of crews died from scurvy on long voyages, his dietary routine preserved countless lives on his own ship as well as for generations of future seafarers. Geopolitically, his voyages directly led to Britain’s claiming possession of Australia, New Zealand, and several smaller islands. By all accounts he appeared a fair and dutiful captain as well as an honest and respectful ambassador to the many foreign peoples he encountered (at least until his final voyage when something was clearly going wrong with his brain and his behavior became uncharacteristically erratic). In my opinion, this sudden change in Cook’s behavior directly contributed to the clash with the Hawaiians that ended his life. Had he still been the man he was on his first two voyages, I think he would have lived to a ripe old age.

While there is no shortage of adventure and discovery in Cook’s voyages, the book itself tends to be rather dry, matter of fact, and lacking in any of the narrative flair that tend to accompany the best biographies. Nevertheless, I did learn a lot from this one. 3 Stars.

What follows are my notes on the book:

Born in 1728 in Yorkshire. A nearby Lord recognized special qualities in James and paid for his school. At 16 he apprenticed in a shop for 18 months. He befriended the local fishermen and loved to listen to their seafaring stories. It seemed exciting compared to the drudgery of the shop. He asked to be relieved of his indenture and began a new apprenticeship to a nearby ship-owner. At a school he learned navigation, charts, longitude and latitude, etc. At age 18 he first went to sea in a ship ferrying coal. Over the next 18 months he gained much experience.

By 1750, he had completed his 3 year apprenticeship. By 1755 at age 27 he reasonably felt something of a veteran. He was eager and ambitious to travel farther. He had options (East India Company) but chose to join the Royal Navy. As war with France loomed, Cook’s talents were recognized and he was quickly promoted. In the Seven Years’ War, he received prize money for capturing French ships. When William Pitt determined to end France’s interest in North America, Cook was sent to seize control of the St Lawrence River, cutting off Quebec. On the journey, he first witnessed scurvy (26 sailors died on this trip alone). After a naval battle, the French capitulated opening the way to Quebec. However, with winter approaching, the assault was put off until spring. Cook made his first foray into surveying. The British went on to capture Quebec, giving birth to the British Empire.

Stuck in a winter port, Cook learned the necessity of strict discipline. After 2.5 years, he returned home, and determined to find a wife. He married Elizabeth Cook (age 22) in Dec 1762. He was selected to survey Nova Scotia and Newfoundland (won in the recent war). By Nov 1763 he was a father. By June he was again across the Atlantic. An explosion permanently scarred his right hand. With a rough set of charts he was home by Dec, just in time for the birth of his 2nd son. His charts of Newfoundland were praised for their accuracy and were not superseded for over a 100 years.

As he continued traversing the Atlantic, on one trip he observed an eclipse in 1766, recording his findings. This single act, put him on the radar of the Royal Society. Making plans to observe the 1769 transit of Venus from the Pacific (in order to calculate the distance between the sun, Earth, and Venus), Captain Cook’s naval experience and amateur astronomy made him the ideal candidate to undertake the mission. He received his instructions in May 1768 and rushed to depart so he would arrive in time. Accompanying him was (self-aggrandizing) botanist Joseph Banks. His orders included a second, secret instruction not to be opened until at sea…to explore the South Pacific and discover the missing Continent Terra Australis Incognita. Cook believed this land to be a myth. If he couldn’t find it, he was to proceed to the land discovered by Abel Tasman 126 years earlier (New Zealand). His wife was pregnant with their 4th child when he departed in August 1768.

He arrived in Tahiti in Apr 1769. He expected trouble with the Tahitians and laid out strict rules for his crew to deal fairly with them. The Tahitian’s wildly different morality and customs were confusing. With six weeks to go until the transit of Venus, Cook established his observatory and a fort. When a Tahitian was shot for stealing a Musket, Cook went out his way to mend fences and maintain good relations. On one occasion, he lashed one of his own men for threatening a local chief’s wife. During the six hour observation of the transit, one of his own men stole 120 pounds of nails (a key commodity for trade) and received 2 dozen lashes when caught. With Tahitian thieving rampant, Cook threatened to burn canoes until pilfered items were returned. He was eager to depart and carry out the 2nd part of his orders. Some local chiefs were held hostage to encourage the return of 2 deserters who ran off with their new wives, which almost led to armed conflict. One native, Tupia, came aboard and would prove valuable when they encountered others who shared his language and customs.

The southerly leg of the exploration for a southern continent was freezing. After finding nothing to the south, he headed west and on 7 Oct saw the land discovered by Tasman over a century earlier (New Zealand). He began mapping the coast. The Maoris were just as given to theft as the Tahitians, but also prone to war and Cook’s men were disturbed by their practice of cannibalism. Having circumnavigated the northern island, they claimed it in the name of their king. Surveying the southern island was more challenging with the weather and the cold. Cooks charts again proved to be the model of accuracy.

After 2 years, they were headed home. He determined to sail up the coast of New Holland (Australia) and fill the enormous gaps in it’s geography. He would stop in Batavia (Jakarta) and then home around the Cape. Charting the coast, he named it New South Wales and claimed it for England. Unaware of what lay ahead, Cook got stuck on the Great Barrier Reef. In a precarious position so far from home, cannons and other ballast were thrown overboard to get the ship off the coral reef. By mid-August, one of their pinnaces finally discovered a path through the insane labyrinth of the coral reef and they proceeded toward the Dutch East Indies.

In Batavia, they discovered the ship was in worse shape than they imagined. While repairs commenced, dysentery, malaria, and other diseases killed 34 men that Cook had so skillfully kept alive for 2 years at sea. Cook thoroughly had his ship cleaned from top to bottom to combat the spread of disease. After another stop in Cape Town, they returned home after 1,074 days. His wife and boys (now age 7 & 8) were relieved to see him, but delivered sad news that his other son (who he only knew as a newborn) had died 3 years ago and his daughter just died.

His return included an overwhelming amount of paperwork (reports, condolence letter, etc). As Banks promoted his work, many came to see him as the leader and hero of the voyage. Banks began planning a 2nd expedition, but he needed Cook to pull it off. So he used his political connections to Sandwich to have him appointed to lead the new voyage, less than a month after his return. The purpose of the new voyage being to once and for all find or disprove the existence of the great southern continent. Cook’s plan was to operate out of two known bases (Tahiti and NZ), this time going east to avoid trouble in Batavia and Rio de Janeiro.

Their departure was delayed as Banks demanded modifications to the ship to accommodate his work and entourage. These modification proved extremely unsafe and months were wasted undoing these changes. This reversal resulted in the haughty Banks abandoning the trip. Accompanying the crew were 2 astronomers from the Board of Longitude who would make their own observations as Cook tested John Harrison’s chronometer. While most ships lost half their crew to scurvy, Cook insisted on cleanliness and consumption of antiscorbutics (like sauerkraut which the men detested).

Once past the Cape of Good Hope, they explored further south than anyone before, passing the Antarctic Circle, exposing the men and livestock to harsh winter conditions and the ship to pack ice. After reaching NZ, Cook chastised the captain of the 2nd ship for lack of discipline as the crew was much inflicted with scurvy. They proceeded to explore the ocean between NZ and Tahiti for six weeks (the 2nd ship again succumbing to scurvy, exasperating Cook).

The island had suffered a civil war since their last visit. He had to lash several of his own men for fighting and “making free” with the women. Cook diffused the situation with the locals thru his diplomatic skill and lavish gifts. Cook proceeded thru the Tonga islands, discovering and charting over 100 of them before returning to NZ. The two ships became separated. Some of Furneaux’s men were attacked (and eaten) by the Maori and without Cook around, he chose to return to England a year early. Cook meanwhile restocked and continued his mission. He again penetrated the Antarctic Circle. His systematic exploration of the region proved beyond doubt the fabled continent did not exist. Proceeding thru the New Hebrides, they encountered a new race, the Melanesians. The Maori were edgy when Cook returned to NZ and rumors abounded.

Heading East around Cape Horn, he discovered the “savage, horrible” South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Stopping at Cape Town, he was shocked to receive a copy of a book by a journalist with “an account” of voyages in the southern hemisphere. He was furious at the use of his journals without permission. After 3 years, 18 days he returned to England. Cook presented his charts directly to the king and received a promotion to post-captain. Within two weeks his wife was pregnant again. His older sons entered the naval academy. Cook applied for a pensioned position at the Royal Hospital. Another individual published an embellished account of Cook’s journey with many fabricated incidents to discredit Cook.

Even before his return, a third voyage was being planned, this one for the northern Pacific in search of a Northwest Passage. Though he needed rest and time with his family, Cook volunteered to lead this expedition. Being home less than a year, he was off again. Delays en route meant they lost an opportunity to reach the Arctic Circle that season. The Maori saw the arrival of two ships as the start of a war of revenge. Cook restored relations and learned the true fate of Furneaux’s men. This voyage, Cook began uncharacteristically losing his temper and inflicting savage punishments on both his men and the thieving natives. They spent 2 months in the Friendly Islands (Tonga). Back in Tahiti, Cook was affronted by news that Spaniards had arrived and claimed the island for their king.

Cook resettled the Tahitian Omai (the cover story for this trip) but the lengthy stay led to confrontations. When livestock was stolen, Cook carried out a punitive expedition, destroying settlements and canoes (cruel and uncharacteristic behavior for Cook). By December, they began sailing north. By 18 January, they spotted land (Oahu & Kauai). They noticed many similarities to the Tahitians (language, religious activities, and of course thieving). Cook gave strict prohibition against intercourse, to spare these people gonorrhea and other diseases. After 5 weeks, they departed lest they risk losing a second season in the Arctic. They reached the west coast around modern day Oregon. They mapped the coast up to Anchorage. Cooks erratic behavior continued. They passed thru the Aleutians and the Bering Strait before being forced back by the ice.

Cook almost drove his crew to mutiny by forcing them to eat walrus and then proposed going west over Siberia (he eventually realized that would be suicide). Instead of wintering in Kamchatka as planned they headed back for the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). He celebrated his 50th birthday at sea. They spotted a new island, Maui and then the Big Island. Cook, for no apparent reason reversed his prohibition against women and cut the grog ration (the latter again bringing the crew to near mutiny). They traded heavily with the iron crazy Hawaiians in Kealakekua Bay. They were soon swarmed by men and women, the latter bent on seducing the new arrivals.

When Cook met High Priest Koa, it appeared they regarded him as a god (chants of ‘Orono’ occurred everywhere he went). He wearily participated in a long elaborate ceremony ashore. Unknown to Cook, the natives believed he was the fulfillment of a prophecy that the god of abundance Orono Makua would appear under great white banners (like the ship sails). While things were friendly, Cook grew frustrated with the excessive thieving and there were beginning to be signs that they were overstaying their welcome (as Hawaiian food reserves dwindled). Shortly after departing, a split foremast forced a return for repairs.

The Hawaiians became more provocative, blatantly stealing. When one Hawaiian was whipped, the Hawaiians escalated, throwing stones when they came ashore for water. After the theft of a cutter and a fight on the beach that injured several of his men, Cook felt compelled to respond with force. He blockaded the harbor and went to capture the king as a hostage. The king’s mistresses pleaded for him not to go aboard ship, Cook grew angry, and rocks were thrown and fighting erupted. The Hawaiians initially fell back after shots were fired, but Cook’s men showed signs of retreat while reloading. The Hawaiians attacked killing Cook.

The crew expressed a violent need for revenge. Clerke now in command, focused on evacuation of the foremast and remaining men. Bligh (of Bounty infamy) retaliated against villages shooting all he saw. When Cook’s body was not returned and they continued to be taunted, Clerke fired the 4-pounders to scatter the crowds ashore and permitted an attack on Kealakekua shooting all inhabitants. Finally obtaining Cook’s dismembered body, he was committed to the deep and they again headed north for one last effort at a Northwest Passage. Bligh completed the survey of the Sandwich Islands.

The author argues that Cook’s uncharacteristic irritability and cruelty on the third voyage were the result of an intestinal infection that also brought about changes in his brain chemistry. Elizabeth survived her husband by 56 years. With her husband’s pension and profits from Cook’s publications, she lived comfortably to age 93.