The Endeavor ship was launched in 1764, and the British fleet acquired it in 1768 for a scientific mission in the Pacific Ocean and exploration of the sea near the alleged Terra Australis Incognita, or "unknown southern land." The Navy renamed the ship and used it to strengthen His Majesty's fleet. In August 1768, His Majesty the Endeavor ship left Plymouth, circled Cape Horn and reached Tahiti in time to help a team of scientists observe the transit of Venus through the Sun in 1769. Then he went to the almost unknown ocean to the south, stopping on the Pacific islands of Hua Hin, Borabor and Rayatea to allow Cook to open them to the UK. In September 1769, the Endeavor ship anchored off New Zealand, becoming the first European vessel to reach the islands from the time of Hemskerk Abel Tasman 127 years ago.
Great discoveries
In April 1770, Endeavor became the first ship to reach the east coast of Australia when Cook went ashore in what is now known as Botany Bay. Then the Endeavor sailed north along the Australian coast. The ship’s crew almost died after their yacht ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, and Cook had to throw his weapons overboard in order to get rid of unnecessary weight and save the ship and crew.
Then the team landed on the mainland for 7 weeks to carry out a complete repair of the hull. On October 10, 1770, the Endeavor ship rested in a port in Batavia, the capital of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Jakarta) for more extensive repairs, and the crew vowed to keep secret information about the lands they visited. Cook's team resumed their journey west on December 26, bypassed Cape of Good Hope on March 13, 1771, and on July 12 arrived at the English port of Dover, having been in the sea for almost 3 years.
The fate of the ship
Endeavor was largely forgotten after its epic voyage and spent the next 3 years sailing to and from the Falkland Islands. The ship was sold to a private owner in 1775 and later renamed the “Lord Sandwich”; it was used as a British military transport ship during the American Revolutionary War and was sunk during the blockade of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, in 1778. The wreck of the Endeavor was not exactly localized, but it is believed that this happened in Newport Harbor. In September 2018, marine archaeologists announced that they had discovered what they believed was a shipwreck off the coast of Rhode Island in the United States.
Ship Endeavor: Description and Legacy
The model of the modern Endeavor was released in 1994 and is located next to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney Harbor. The American space shuttle Endeavor is named after the subject of this article, which is also depicted on a 50 cents New Zealand coin. The Endeavor was originally a merchant ship used by Earl Pembroke, built by Thomas Fishburn for Thomas Milner, which was launched in June 1764 from the coal and whaling port of Whitby in North Yorkshire. The ship was deliberately designed and built with a wide, flat bow and square stern.
The flat bottom design made it suitable for swimming in shallow water. Its hull, internal floors and futtoks were made of traditional white oak, keel and strong boards made of elm, and the mast of pine and fir. The ship's drawings also show a double cilion designed to hold the keel, floors and frames in place.
Cook is the master of Endeavor
Captain James Cook (November 7, 1728 - February 14, 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer and captain of the Royal Navy. Cook made detailed maps of Newfoundland before making 3 voyages across the Pacific Ocean, during which he traveled around the world, discovering Australia, New Zealand and Hawaiian Islands.
Cook joined the British merchant fleet as a teenager, and then, in the course of his career, joined the Royal Navy in 1755. He saw with his own eyes the fighting during the Seven Years War and subsequently studied and planned the river attack of the British fleet during the siege of Quebec. This helped Cook secure the patronage of the Admiralty and the Royal Society. This recognition became significant both for Cook himself and for the British colonial empire. Soon he became the commander of the Endeavor ship and covered himself with eternal glory as a traveler and discoverer.
Excellent captain of the legendary ship
During his three most famous voyages, Cook sailed thousands of miles through almost uncharted areas of the globe. He described in detail the lands of New Zealand and Hawaii in the Pacific. Between great and large-scale discoveries, he made smaller discoveries - for example, he examined in detail the landscape of European rivers. He demonstrated a rare combination of qualities of a military sailor, excellent geodetic and cartographic skills, courage and the ability to lead people along even in adverse conditions. Thanks to Cook, the Endeavor became famous and became one of the most famous ships in history.