James Cook – one of the English seafarers, most famous in the world. In the 18th century this brave traveler managed to round the globe three times. Round-the-world campaigns of Cook were very successful, during three expeditions the captain opened several archipelagoes and a set of islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Formation of the captain Cook
Future captain Cook famous not only the travel, but also in-depth cartographic studies, was born in 1728 in impoverished farmer family in the north of England. The father tried to accustom the fellow to commerce, but the young man had in himself absolutely other calling: it was attracted to themselves by the ships and sea wanderings.
As it is accepted in the fleet, work of the ship's boy became the first ship position of Cook. It managed to be arranged on the vessel which transported coal along the English coast. The young man seriously approached the hobby for the sea, he independently comprehended fundamentals of algebra, geometry, astronomy and navigation. In three years he became the real sailor, and remarkable abilities of James allowed it to move ahead successfully on a career ladder.
In 1757 Cook brilliantly passed the examination granting the right to steer the vessel.
In the next years Cook with eagerness performed tasks of naval department of England, making the detailed description of channels of the rivers of North America. Its abilities of the cartographer and the excellent navigator were already at that time shown. James Cook's works caused respect in the English Admiralty therefore it was soon entrusted to it to go for carrying out researches to the Pacific Ocean.
Travel and James Cook's opening
The first big expedition of the captain Cook took place in 1768 and lasted till 1771. During this swimming he established that New Zealand represents the double island, opened and plotted the Great Barrier Reef and carefully investigated a considerable part of east coast of Australia. During the second large-scale sea company which was carried out from 1772 to 1775, the captain Cook passed across the Pacific Ocean in its high latitudes, unsuccessfully trying to find the Southern continent. James Cook the first of seafarers came into the Amundsen Sea, three times were crossed by the Antarctic Circle. Then the South Sandwich Islands were open and described. The third expedition (1776-1779) filled up a moneybox of opening of Cook. During this period the captain plotted the Hawaiian Islands and seized final evidence that between America and Asia there is a passage.
The expedition objects set by the Admiralty were entirely reached.
Unfortunately, the third expedition of Cook ended for the famous captain tragically. In 1779 in a skirmish with Hawaiians he was wounded, was taken by natives prisoner and killed. Results of travel of James Cook left a bright mark in the history of geographical discoveries, and its magnificent and surprisingly exact cartographic materials were applied in navigation for a long time.