The Journals of Captain Cook

James Cook

• 15 december 2009
• 9781909959460

Samenvatting:

Captain James Cook, FRS, RN (7 November 1728[NB 1] 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy. Cook made detailed maps of Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, during which he achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand. Cook's Journals contain remarkable accounts of his many discoveries and he became something of a hero among the scientific community. Cook wrote each journal entry on large unbound sheets folded so that they formed booklets with two equally sized leaves. At sea the left hand leaves were ruled into a series of columns and rows into which he entered the dates of journal entries, recorded the direction of winds and other navigational information, as well as noting things pertaining to the good order of the ship. On the right hand leaves, Cook recorded what thought worthy of remark about each day of his command. The record of Cooks voyages was to become popular reading. Louis XVI ordered it translated into French.