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The Second Voyage (1771-1776)

 

1771

Sep. 13 Fri. Writes to John Walker - describing Pacific Islands, considering a Second Voyage.
Sep. - Nov.     Investigates vessels for voyage. Admiralty puchases Marquis of Granby (£4151) and Marquis of Rockingham (£2103).
  27 Wed. Marquis of Granby re-named Drake. Rockingham re-named Raleigh.
  28 Thu. Cook named as Commander of Drake and Tobias Furneaux , Commander of Raleigh.
  30 Sat. Cook receives Admiralty Orders and begins to prepare ships.
Dec. 10 Tue. Cook writes to Joseph Cockfield from “Next Door to Curtis’s Wine Vaults Mile end” (sic).
  14 Sat. Applies for three weeks leave. Travels to Yorkshire with wife, Elizabeth. Visits Ayton, Whitby, etc.
  25 Wed. By now Admiralty has re-named Drake, Resolution, and Raleigh becomes Adventure.

1772

Jan. 3 Fri. Cook writes to Captain Hammond in Hull.
Feb. 6 Tue. Work finished on Resolution at Deptford. Cook writes long letter to Earl of Sandwich with Map of Southern Hemisphere, outlines his plans for Second Voyage.
  7 Wed. Resolution hauled from dry dock to wet dock.
  14 Wed. Resolution into River. Provisioning of ship commenced.
Feb. - Mar.     Cook has discussions with Banks about scientific staff and accomodation for the Voyage.
Apr. 9 Thu. Sails from Deptford to Woolwich. Held up by winds.
  22 Wed. Sails from Woolwich.
  24 Fri. Adventure joins Resolution.
  25 Sat. Cook’s misgivings about seaworthiness of Resolution become serious as ordnance, powder and final stores are loaded.
  29 Wed. Receives Marines (Lt. Edgcumbe + 20) aboard.
May 2 Sat. Banks entertains Sandwich and French Ambassador, Comte de Guines aboard ship.
  7 Thu. Midshipman Sandford drowned after falling overboard from launch.
  10 Sun. Resolution sails. Cook on leave.
  14 Thu. Resolution reaches The Nore. Reported un-seaworthy.
  18 Mon. Anchors at Sheerness for reconstruction work.
  20 Wed. Cook arrives at Sheerness. Work in progress.
  21 Thu. Cook writes to Admiralty, proposes shortening masts.
  24 Sun. Banks and Solander visit Resolution. Banks does not approve the new alterations; by the end of the month has angrily, withdrawn.
  30 Sat. Sir Hugh Palliser, Comptroller of the Navy, inspects Resolution.
Jun.     Selection of crew and scientists finally settled. (William Wales and William Bayly, astronomers, William Hodges, artist, John Reinhold and George Forster, scientists).
  10 Wed. Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, visits ship.
  15 Mon. Cook visits Resolution to inspect work. which is apparently satisfactory. Writes report to Admiralty.
  21 Sun. Farewell to family. Joins Resolution with Wales at Sheerness.
  22 Mon. Sails.
  25 Thu. Sails from The Nore. Anchors in Margate Roads.
  26 Fri. In The Downs.
  27 Sat. Sails from the Downs for Plymouth.
Jul. 2 Thu. Sandwich and Palliser aboard. Cook reports favourably. Cook receives Admiralty Instructions and scientific instruments.
  3 Fri. Arrives Plymouth.
  13 Mon. Resolution and Adventure sail from Plymouth. (From hereon Cook’s dates, as in Journal, are used. )
  20 Mon. Off Cape Finisterre.
  22 Wed. Off Sisargas Islands.
  29 Wed. Anchors in Funchal Road, Madeira.
  30 Thu. Goes ashore. Provisions ships. Makes observations.
Aug. 2 Sun. Sails from Madeira.
  4 Tue. Off Palma, Canary Isles.
  5 Wed. Off Ferro (Faro), (Hierro).
  9 Sun. Off Bonavista.
  10 Mon. Off Mayo.
  13 Thu. Anchors at Porto Prayo, Santiago, Cape Verde Islands. Provisions ships and makes observations.
  15 Sat. Sails from Porto Prayo and heads south.
  20 Thu. Henry Smock, Carpenter’s mate, lost overboard while at work.
Sep. 7 Mon. Crosses Equator.
  16 Wed. Off Ascension Island.
Oct. 12 Mon. Observes eclipse of Moon.
  29 Fri. Sights African coast.
  30 Sat. Sights Table Mountain and anchors in Table Bay. Lands. Provisions ships and makes observations.
Nov. 23 Mon. Sails from Cape. Heads south.
Dec. 10 Thu. Sights iceberg to the west at about 51°S. from now on frequently sights them.
  14 Mon. In “immense field of Ice”.
  18 Fri. Heads north after reaching 55°l6’S.
  21 Mon. Heads south again.

1773

Jan. 1 Fri. Still in ice at 60°21’S. Farthest south since 30th. January 1769.
  3 Sun. Sights the moon for second time since leaving the Cape. Decides that Bouvet’s Cape Circumcision (New Year’s Day, 1739) did not exist. Conclusively prove this, later, during Voyage. Concludes that what Bouvet had “sighted was only “Mountains of Ice”.
  9 Sat. At 61°36’S. sends out three boats. They collect about 15 tons of fresh water from loose ice. (See Hodges drawing.)
  12 Tue. Collects ice again and Forster shoots an albatross.
  17 Sun. Crosses Antarctic Circle to 66°36’S. First known mariner to do so. Ice thickening. Heads NE.
Feb. 8 Mon. Loses contact with Adventure in thick fog. Kerguelen Island, although unsighted, was not too far away NE. Now heads SE.
  13 Sat. Heard Island, unsighted, some 40 miles NE.
  16 Tue. Into ice again.
  24 Wed. Reaches 61°52’S. Because of ice and weather decides to head NE in the direction of New Zealand. (Beaglehole: “if Cook had managed to cross the Antarctic Circle... he would probably have found himself ashore, some miles inland, on that part of the Continent that is now Australian Antarctic Territory”, Journal II, page 321.) For about three weeks now, Cook’s course, sailing eastwards was to be roughly parallel to the Antarctic Coast from the Davis Sea to Commonwealth Bay - Queen Mary Land, Wilkes Land, Terre Adelie and George V Land.
Mar. 17 Wed. Having followed this course, at about 60’S., finally, he decides to head for New Zealand.
  25 Thu. Sights New Zealand. 4 months since last seeing land at the Cape.
  26 Fri. Off Chalky Inlet. Enters Dusky Bay.
  27 Sat. Anchors at Anchor Point, Anchor Island. (Cook in Log writes “after 117 days at sea”: Beaglehole, correctly computes 122 days.) Cook and Pickersgill look for better anchorage. Then moves ship to Pickersgill Harbour.
  28 Sun. Hauls Resolution into creek for maintenance. Officers report seeing natives in Cascade Cove. They approach ship.
  29 Mon. Goes ashore, finds huts, leaves medals, glass and beads.
  30 Tue. Botanical expeditions commenced, begins to set up Mr. Wales’ observatory.
Apr. 1 Thu. Spruce beer brewed. (From Rimu tree and Manuka “tea” shrub). Forge set up, sail repairs begin.
  2 Fri. Visit to Cascade Cove, Goose Cove, Luncheon Cove, Supper Cove.
  6 Tue. Visits Resolution Island, Duck Cove, Indian Island, meets native family.
  7 Wed. Visits native family.
  12 Mon. Takes Mr. Hodges to view large Cascade for painting. Surveying at Anchor Island and Luncheon Cove.
  13 Tue. Visits other islands in Bay.
  15 Thu. Surveys NW shore of Bay with Forsters. Camps overnight.
  16 Fri. Continues survey.
  17 Sat. Returns to ship.
  19 Mon. Visited by chief and daughter. They come aboard and gifts are exchanged. Sets off with the Forsters, Hodges and Lt. Cooper to investigate head of Bay.
  20 Tue. Passes Long Island and Cooper’s Island. Lands and meets natives.
  21 Wed. Returns to ship after surveying islands.
  22 Thu. Seal hunting.
  23 Fri. Pickersgill and Gilbert to Cascade Cove to climb mountain. Cook goes fishing in Cove. Leaves last five Cape of Good Hope geese at Goose Cove (hence name).
  26 Mon. Hauls Resolution from creek.
  27 Tue. Off with Pickersgill to examine outlet to sea.
  28 Wed. Returns to ship.
  30 Fri. Sails. Passes between Indian Isle and Long Island, Two Sisters and West Point. Anchors at Station Isle. Sails again.
May 1 Sat. Anchors again near Station Isle. Sails and anchors on Detention Cove, Long Island.
  5 Wed. Boats haul Resolution and manages to anchor in cove at Passage Point at bead of channel to sea (now Acheron Passage).
  6 Thu. Boats haul Resolution through Passage. Anchors in Occasional Cove. Cook ill with “cold”.
  8 Sat. Pickersgill examines Wetjacket Arm.
  9 Sun. Cook investigates inlet to the east, Sunday Cove, Harbour Isles, Beach Harbour, Apparent Island (S. shore) and First, Second and Third Coves (N. shore) - all later surveyed by Vancouver in 1791.
  11 Tue. Sails NE to open sea, passing Entry Island, Gilbert Islands, Disappointment Cove and Breaksea Island.
  12 Wed. Heads for Queen Charlotte Sound, sailing along coast. Off Doubtful Harbour and Cape Stephens.
  17 Mon. Off Cape Farewell and Stephen’s Isle.
  18 Tue. Off Point Jackson and sights Adventure in Ship Cove. Anchors in Ship Cove. Furneaux comes aboard and reports he has been here since 7th. April, having anchored in Adventure Bay, Tasmania on 11th. March. Cook reads Furneaux’s Journal.
  20 Thu. Commences “gardening” and investigations.
  24 Mon. Visited by natives who enquire about Tupiea (1st. Voyage).
  29 Sat. Explains “farming” to natives.
Jun. 2 Wed. Visits east side of Sound to put ashore goats.
  3 Thu. Visited by natives, then others less friendly. Visits Motoura.
  7 Mon. Puts to sea with Adventure. Off The Brothers, Cape Koamaru.
  8 Tue. Off Cape Palliser and heads SE into Pacific. Finds that Arnold’s chronometer would not work, “this is the second of this gentleman’s Watches that hath failed”
Jul. 7 Wed. Wales goes aboard Adventure to compare chronometers.
  13 Tue. Heads North.
  29 Thu. Sends boat to Adventure. Finds that the cook has died and about 20 crew have scurvy and “Flux”. Sends across another cook and strongly urges use of beer and sauerkraut to combat sickness.
Aug. 2 Mon. Passes close to Pitcairn Island but without sighting it.
  11 Wed. Sights Resolution Island = Tauere on 1st. Voyage. Entering Tuamotu Archipelago.
  12 Thu. Off Tekokoto (Doubtful) Island, Maurutea (Furneaux) Island.
  13 Fri. Off Motutunga (Stephen’s Isle > Sandwich Island > Hervey’s Isle).
  14 Sat. Off Anaa (Chain Island on 1st. Voyage).
  15 Sun. Sights Osnaburg Island (Mehetia) and Otaheite (Tahiti). Approaching Society Islands.
  17 Tue. Resolution almost on reef, Tautira Basin, Vaitepiha Bay, hauled off, in emergency, two miles. Loses bower anchor. Anchors in Cook Anchorage, Oaitipeha/Vaitepiha Bay. Chiefs come aboard.
  18 Wed. Sends Gilbert with cutter to recover anchor, successfully. Entertains, then is forced to eject thieves.
  20 Fri. Recovers stolen musket. Marine Isaac Taylor dies.
  23 Mon. Meets Chief Ta’atauraura who entertains him.
  24 Tue. Sails.
  26 Thu. Anchors in Matavai Bay. Lands.
  27 Fri. Visited by Chief Otoo/Tu who entertains Cook with feast and dramatics. Wales and Bayly set up observatory (at Venus Point, same place as 1769).
  28 Sat. Entertainments again.
  29 Sun. With Furneaux visits Otoo again. Sees “Dramatick Heave or Play”.
  30 Mon. After a disturbance would-be deserters returned to ship.
  31 Tue. Visits Otoo who has retreated inland after the disorder. Presents exchanged and Otoo returns.
Sep. 1 Wed. Takes Tahitian, Porio, aboard and sails for Huahine.
  2 Thu. Sights Huahine, anchors at Owharre (Faro).
See an extract of Cook's Journal for this period.
  3 Fri. Goes ashore, meets natives, exchanges hatchets, etc., for food.
  4 Sat. Goes ashore, visits Chief Ori who shows him the pewter inscription Cook had left in July 1769.
  5 Sun. Chief visits Resolution with hogs and fruit.
  6 Mon. Goes ashore after Sparrman had been stripped of everything except trousers while botanising. Remonstrated with Ori. Parts on friendly terms.
  7 Tue. Gives Chief an inscribed (date) copper plate and medals. Adventure takes on Omai. Sails for Ulietea.
  8 Wed. Anchors in Ohamaneno (Haamanino) Harbour.
  9 Thu. Visits Chief Orio.
  10 Fri. Visits chief again. Poetua, chief’s daughter, dances for them.
  11 Sat. Chief visits ship.
  12 Sun. Visits Chief - entertained, dancing etc.
  14 Tue. Goes ashore, feasted and entertained with play. Observes that “little else falls to the share of the common people”.
  15 Wed. Ori has gone! Unfounded fears over Pickersgill’s foraging party at Otaha. Ori returns.
  16 Thu. Porio leaves ship.
  17 Fri. Farewell to Orio. Resolution sails with some 230 hogs aboard and Adventure, 150. Heads west to find Tasman’s Amsterdam Island (1643; Tongatapu).
  18 Sat. Sights Maurua (Maupiti) - leaving Society islands.
  23 Thu. Sights Hervey Islands (Manuae and Auoto), having first named them Sandwich Islands.
Oct. 2 Sat. Sights Middleberg (Eua) and Kalau. Anchors in English Road, Eua. Sights Amsterdam Island to NW. Now in Tongan or Friendly Isles. Goes ashore and is entertained with food and music.
  3 Sun. After going ashore sails tor Amsterdam Island. Anchors in Van Diemen’s Road.
  4 Mon. Goes ashore with Furneaux, Forster. Meets Chiet Ataongo. Visits faitoka - burial place. Forster botanises.
  5 Tue. Goes ashore again with Hodges.
  6 Wed. Ashore.
  0 Fri. Sails, heads for New Zealand.
  9 Sat. Sights Pilstart Island (Ata) = Tasman’s “High Arrow Tail Tropic Bird Island = Hooge pijlsteerten eijlandt”. (19 Jan. 1643)
  21 Thu. Sights Table Cape, New Zealand.
  22 Fri. Off the Shambles and Portland Island, Cape Kidnappers, Black Head. Natives come aboard and exchange goods. Off Cape Turnagain.
  23 Sat. Off Cape Turnagain.
  24 Sun. Off Cape Pailiser.
  25 Mon. In severe gales.
  26 Tue. Still off Cape Palliser.
  27 Wed. Off Cape Campbell, Cape Palliser.
  28 Thu. Off Cape Campbell.
  30 Sat. Loses Adventure.
  31 Sun. Off Snowey Mountains (Kaikoura Range.
Nov. 2 Tue. Sighting Cape Campbell again, eventually manages to enter the Straits (Cook Straits), off Cloudy Esy, Cape Teerawhitte.
  3 Wed. Anchors off, what is now, Port Nicholson/Wellington. (Capt. Herd, 1826. in N.Z. Co. ship Rosanna). Then heads for Ship Cove. Anchors, Adventure is not there.
  4 Thu. Prepares to re-condition ship. Botanising, visits from and to natives, stores.
  23 Tue. Finds evidence of cannibalism.
  25 Thu. Sails, but is forced to anchor between Motuara and Long Island. Leaves message in bottle tor Furneaux or any other captain, indicating his future route. SaiIs SE passing Cape Palliser.
Dec. 7 Tue. Reckons to be at the Antipodes to London. Drinks the health of his friends there.
  8 Wed. Concludes “no land under the Meridian of New Zealand but what must lie far to the South of 60°S.”.
  12 Sun. Sights iceberg.
  15 Wed. Encounters loose ice in considerable volume.
  20 Mon. Crosses Antarctic Circle at approx 148°W.
  22 Wed. At Latitude 67°27’S. (Journal), 67°31’S. (Account).
  24 Fri. Decides to head north because of ice.

1774

Jan. 1 Sat. Heading just west of north.
  11 Tue. 200 leagues (600 miles) from 1769 track to Tahiti. Begins to head south again. Crew is upset, thought Resolution was heading home.
  20 Thu. Sights iceberg “like Cupala (sic) of St. Paul’s... 200ft. high”.
  26 Wed. Crosses Antarctic Circle at 109°31’W.
  30 Sun. At latitude 71°10’S. and 106°54’W longitude, farthest South. Both Vancouver on the bowsprit and Sparrman in his cabin claimed the “personal” farthest South! Decides to head north. Only in 1823 did James Weddell reach 74°l5’S. JC Beaglehole says that no one in this Pacific sector of the Antarctic has yet penetrated to the Continent by sea.
Feb. 3 Thu. Recrosses the Antarctic Circle going north.
  6 Sun. Concludes no land mass/continent in Pacific at these latitudes and decides to keep northwards in search of Juan Fernandez’ Continent (1563) at latitude 38°, then Easter Island/Davis Land and Bougainville’s “Great Cyclades”.
  17 Thu. Crosses Endeavour’s track of 1769.
  22 Tue. At 37°52’S. and l0l°10’W., as trying to get in the latitude of Easter Island, concludes no Juan Fernandez Continent here but it must have been “a small isle”.
  23 Wed. Cook is taken ill with “bilious cholic” and is confined to bed. Mr. Forster prescribes his favourite dog for diet as no other fresh meet aboard. The resultant stew proves effective. JC Beaglehole says it was an infection of the gall bladder and paralysis of bowel.
Mar. 9 Wed. On westerly course searching for Easter Island.
  11 Fri. Sights Easter Island (Davis Land) and sails SW along south coast.
  13 Sun. Sights the “Monuments or Idols” mentioned by Roggeveen (1722), also inhabitants.
  14 Mon. Anchors off Hanga-roa Bay and Punta Rua. Canoe comes to visit ship. Goes ashore, Hodges sketches. Secures better anchorage.
  15 Tue. Sends Pickersgill and Edgcumbe ashore to investigate.
  16 Wed. They return and Pickersgill gives full report, including dialect and names of statues. Cruises up and down western shore.
See an extract of Cook's Journal for this period.
  17 Thu. Sails north, heading for the Marquesas (Mendana 1595).
Apr. 7 Thu. Sights Hood’s Island (Fatu Huku), St. Pedro (Motare). La Dominica (Hiva Oa), St. Christina (Tahuata).
  8 Fri. Sails along southern coast of Hiva Oa looking for anchorage. Anchors in Resolution (formerly Madre de Dios) Bay (Vaitahu Bay). Canoes arrive, gifts are exchanged. Natives killed after an iron stanchion is stolen.
  9 Sat. Goes ashore, gifts exchanged, food obtained.
  10 Sun. Goes ashore to south end of Bay and visits house of dead man. Gifts exchanged.
  11 Mon. Goes ashore to south, again. Finds trade becoming expensive because of lavish gifts by his “gentlemen”.
  12 Tue. Sails towards St. Dominica. No anchorage visible. Heads SW away from islands.
  13 Wed. Sights last of the five main islands, Magdalena (Fatu Hiva).
  17 Sun. Sights Coral Island (Byron, 1765), Ti-oo-kea (Takaroa).
  18 Mon. Passes outside atoll, sends Gilbert to investigate, finds no anchorage, sights George’s Island (Byron), (Takapoto). Heads SW.
  19 Tue. Sights coral atolls, Apataki, Toau and Kaukura.
  20 Wed. Passes along N. coast of Kaukura, sights Arutua. Names them Palliser’s Isles. Heads for Tahiti.
  21 Thu. Sights Tahiti.
  22 Fri. Anchors in Matavai Bay. Wants Wales to check chronometers.
  23 Sat. Visited by natives with provisions.
  24 Sun. Visited by Chief Otoo.
  25 Mon. Changing plans, decides to overhaul ship.
  26 Tue. Goes ashore to visit Oparre (Pare) district. Sees great naval force - 300 great double canoes, 170 smaller and about 7,000 men. War force to go against Eimeo (Moorea) which had a rebellious chief. Returns to ship.
  27 Wed. Visits Towha and Otoo at Oparee. Brings men back to dinner aboard ship.
  28 Thu. Forster and Sparrman off on expedition.
  29 Fri. Visited by chiefs. Water cask stolen. Thief apprehended and brought on board, then taken ashore by chiefs. Cook asks them to spare him. Marines are drilled for exhibition. Forster returns with plants.
  30 Sat. Sees canoe-men exercising.
May 1 Sun. Provisions arrive.
  2 Mon. Visits Oparre.
  3 Tue. Finds ship’s biscuit is decaying.
  5 Thu. Visited by Chief. Forster and Sparrman off into country.
  6 Fri. Forster returns.
  7 Sat. Visited by whole Royal Family.
  8 Sun. Marine Richard Baldy, sentry ashore, has musket stolen. Goes ashore to retrieve it, sends out warning and goes back aboard. Obtains hostages/canoes, lets them go and musket is returned.
  9 Mon. Visits Oparee and returns.
  10 Tue. Gives fireworks display.
  11 Wed. Begins to load equipment from shore.
  12 Thu. Visited by Queen Obarea, Otoo. Fireworks again.
  14 Sat. Visits Oparee. Sees fighting display. Farewells, returns and Resolution sails. Discovers that John Marra, gunner’s mate, had tried to desert. Launches cutter, recovers him. He is put in irons. Sails, heads for Husheine.
  15 Sun. Anchors at Owharre (Faro) Harbour.
  16 Mon. Visited by Ori. Gifts exchanged. Ernest Scholient, Forster’s servant, is attacked and insulted.
  17 Tue. Goes ashore to complain. Attends Council meeting. Advised to kill absent attackers!
  18 Wed. Shows Ori the guns firing.
  20 Fri. Shooting party attacked. Goes ashore to protest and returns.
  21 Sat. Goes ashore for more information about attackers. Returns to ship and then lands with 48 men as a demonstration. Peace restored, returns to ship.
  23 Mon. Puts to sea and arrives at Raiatea (Ulietea), Haamanino Harbour. Visited by Chief Orio (Oreo).
  25 Wed. Warps ship into cove. Goes ashore, exchanges presents. Sees and is embraced by old, blood-covered women - who are lamenting and lacerating themselves with shark’s teeth.
  26 Thu. Goes ashore. Visits dogs’ burial place. He is surprised “because few Dogs die a natural death, being generally kill’d and eat”.
  27 Fri. Orio comes aboard with family. Dinner. Goes ashore, sees a play representing woman in labour.
  28 Sat. Forster botanising. Cook spends day with Chief.
  29 Sun. Items stolen from boats. Cook goes ashore to complain. All recovered except pinnace’s iron tiller. Everything finally settled, articles found which were not known to have been stolen. Watches further dramatic entertainment including performance by strolling players. Orios’s daughter. Poetua entertains.
  30 Mon. Visits estate in north of island. Watches ceremony of hog-killing and roasting.
Jun. 2 Thu. Fireworks. False rumours of Furneaux’s arrival at Huaheine.
  4 Sat. Visit by Orio. Farewells made. Resolution sails. Heads west.
  5 Sun. Off Maupiti, Bora Bora. Releases John Marra from custody (l4 May).
  15 Thu. Sights Palmerston Island (6 small islands}. No anchorage.
  21 Tue. Sights Niue. Cook called it Savage Island because of the hostility of the islanders.
  22 Wed. Lands at Tuapa with two boats, then south along coast, lands at Opaahi, attacked, withdraws, attacked again, returns to ship and sails.
  25 Sat. Approaching Tongan Group. Sights and passes Haapai, Kotu and reefs. Wary of the reefs he passes Telekitonga.
  28 Sun. Sights Mango, Tonumeia and Nomuka (Rotterdam).
  27 Mon. Anchors and lands at Annamocka = Nomuka (Tasman’s Rotterdam of 1643). Canoes arrive, goes ashore.
  28 Tue. Goes ashore, surgeon has gun stolen. Inhabitants show hostility. Man is shot. Surgeon attends to him. Peace is restored and gifts are exchanged.
  29 Wed. Ashore again, obtains names of 20 islands in group and sights, among them, a volcanic island to the west (Tofua).
  30 Fri. Off Tofua and Kao (3, 380 ft.). Tofua is covered by cloud. Passes between the islands.
Jul. 2 Sat. Sights Vatoa (Fiji Group). Only sighting made of the Fiji Group.
  3 Sun. Sights small island, puts boat ashore. No anchorage. Names it Turtle Island.
  4 Mon. Off Vuata Vatoa Reef. Sends boat for turtles. None found.
  17 Sun. Approaching New Hebrides - Bougainville’s “Great Cyclades”. Sights Aurora Island (Bougainville, 1768) (Maewo).
  18 Mon. Rounds north of Maewo in gale.
  19 Tue. Off Isle of Lepers (Omba). Passes between Maewo and Omba in gale.
  20 Wed. Finds no anchorage at Maewo, crosses Patteson Passage towards Pentecost Isle (Raga).
  21 Thu. Passes to west of Pentecost and sights Ambrim, Paama and Epi.
  22 Fri. Approaches Mallicollo (Malekula). Anchors in Port Sandwich (Sasun Say). Visited by canoes. Shot at with arrows. Lands, faced by “4 or 500 men arm’d with Bows and Arrows, Clubs and Spears”. Peace made, gifts exchanged.
  23 Sat. Goes ashore. Visits house. Walks around harbour, returns to ship and sails.
  24 Sun. Passes Maskelyne Islands, off Epi and Mai.
  25 Mon. Towards Shepherd Isles, off Makura. Mataso, Monument Rock (Wot).
  26 Tue. Off Hinchinbrook (Nguna), Montagu (Emau) and Sandwich (Efate) Islands. Heads SE.
  27 Wed. Sights Eromanga.
  29 Fri. Off Eromanga.
  30 Sat. Sights Tana/Tanna (Ipari).
Aug. 1 Mon. Off north tip of Eromanga.
  2 Tue. Sails part way down west coast and returns.
  3 Wed. Sails down east coast. Puts out boat for anchorage.
  4 Thu. Anchors at Traitors’ Head (Polenia Bay). Goes ashore. Gifts. Fired at with arrows, shot fired back, returns to ship, sails. Passes Cook Bay.
  5 Fri. Heads for Tanna, sights volcanoes, sends boat for anchorage and anchors at Port Resolution. Sights Erronan (Futuna).
  6 Sat. Goes ashore, threatened, makes friends with Paowang and visits his house over next few days.
  7 Sun. Volcano erupts-Mt. Yasur. Begins to provision ship, obtain wood.
  16 Tue. Walks to other side of island, sights Annatom (Aneityum).
  19 Fri. Native is shot by marine, William Wedgeborough, later punished.
  20 Sat. Sails, heads east towards Erronan (Futuna).
  21 Sun. Off Immer (Aniwa).
  22 Mon. Heads back around S. tip of Tanna.
  23 Tue. Off W. coast of Sandwich Isle (Efate), heading NW towards and passing Malekula, Rock Point.
  24 Wed. Through Bougainville Passage, past St. Bartholomew Isle (Malo), sails up E. coast of Espiritu Santo, sights Cape Quiros and Sakau Island.
  25 Thu. Into Bay of St. Philip and St. James (Quiros, 1606) and Port of Vera Cruz.
See an extract of Cook's Journal for this period.
  26 Fri. Tacks into Bay.
  27 Sat. Standing off, sends Gilbert and Cooper ashore in boat, they land near river (= Quiros’ R. Jordan). Rounds Cape Cumberland.
  29 Mon. Heads down west coast of Espiritu Santo, tacking to and fro.
  31 Wed. Off Cape Lisburne - heads SW.
Sep. 4 Sun. Sights Cape Colnett (New Caledonia).
  5 Mon. Enters reef (Amoss Passage) between Cook Reef and Balade Reef, anchors off Observatory Isle (Pudiu), visited by inhabitants.
  5 Tue. Goes ashore with armed boats, rows along coast, returns to ship. Visited by natives, meets Chief, Teeabooma. Wales and Pickersgill land on Isle, Cook goes to help. Observatory set up for eclipse of Sun.
  7 Wed. Eclipse, cloudy at first, observations made. Returns to ship, goes ashore again and returns. Simon Monk, ship’s butcher, dies after fall down fore-hatchway previous night.
  8 Thu. Goes ashore. Excursion to west. The Forsters and Cook are ill with eating poisoned fish, liver and roe (Toadfish).
  9 Fri. Exchanges presents with Teeabooma but still indisposed.
  10 Sat. Forster ashore botanising.
  12 Mon. Cutter is damaged when Gilbert and Pickersgill are returning from a visit to the north-west of island. Repairs made.
  13 Tue. Takes possession of island in name of King George III, naming it New Caledonia. Sails back through reef and heads NW. along coast, outside Cook Reef, passes Great False Passage.
  14 Wed. Sights Belep Islands, still sailing NW. along reef.
  15 Thu. Off Ongambua Island and Passage at extreme NW. tip of island and can see no more land stretching to NW. Of f Sandy Isle, decides to turn round and return SE.
  18 Sun. Off Observatory Island, Amoss Passage.
  21 Wed. Off Hercourt Isles, Cape Baye and Ugué Bay.
  22 Thu. Sights Cape Coronation.
  23 Fri. Sights Queen Charlotte’s Foreland and Cape Queen Charlotte.
  25 Sun. Sights Nuare Islet and Isle of Pines.
  28 Wed. Round Isle of Pines, in shoals and islets.
  29 Thu. In difficulty amid breakers. Eventually anchors.
  30 Fri. Carpenter goes ashore to fell trees - “spruce pine” - (Araucaria columnaris/Cook Pine).
Oct. 1 Sat. Heading SE.
  10 Mon. Sights Norfolk Island.
  11 Tue. Goes ashore, notes pines and flax plants. Returns to ship and continues to SE.
  17 Mon. Sights Mount Egmont, New Zealand.
  18 Tue. Off Stephens Isle, anchors in Ship Cove. Begins to refurbish ship. Bottle left for Adventure has gone!
  22 Sat. Goes with botanists to visit parts of the Sound.
  24 Mon. Canoes approach, meets inhabitants, gifts exchanged, returns.
  28 Fri. New masts, rigging and caulking proceeding well so goes ashore.
Nov. 4 Fri. Goes to Long Island to look for hogs previously left behind.
  5 Sat. Goes in pinnace up Sound. Discovers (Tory) Channel, proves to be another passage into Cook Strait from Queen Charlotte Sound. Finds large native settlement, returns to ship.
  6 Sun. Returns to Long Island for sow, fails to find her. Learns that Adventure had been in Cove, stayed 10/20 days, and had been gone for ten months.
  10 Thu. Out of Cove, anchors in Sound. Goes ashore, observes women make “Dutch Warming Pan” to sit upon. Sails, passes Two Brothers and Cape Campbell.
  11 Fri. Off Snowy Mts., Cape Palliser and heads east to cross Pacific at high latitudes towards Cape Horn.
  26 Sat. Deciding no land to be found in these latitudes, Cook decides to head for western entrance of Magellan Straits.
  27 Sun. Resolution has sailed 183 miles in 24 hours - a record!
Dec. 17 Sat. Sights Cape Deseado (Magellan) (Cape Pillar), Desolation Island. Now heads SE. along west coast of Tierra del Fuego. Writes “now I have done with the Southern Pacific Ocean, and flatter myself that no one will think that I have left it unexplor’d”
  18 Sun. Passes Landfall Island, Cape Gloucester on Charles Island (Grafton Islands), Cape Noir (Noir Island), The Tower Rocks, across Bay of St. Barbara.
  19 Mon. Off Cape Desolation (Basket Island), Desolate Bay, London Isles, Camden Isles, Gilbert Islands, Londonderry Isles, Cook Bay, York Minster (Waterman Island) - this 800 ft. high feature reminded Cook of his native county’s well known building.
  20 Tue. Off Christmas Sound.
  21 Wed. Anchors in Adventure Cove. Prepares to provision ship. Wales sets up observatory.
  22 Thu. Clerke and Pickersgill go ashore, Cook goes with botanists. Examines Burnt Island, sees Hoste Island. Marine William Wedgeborough disappears, probably overboard, last seen going to the head, “a little in liquor” (See 19 Aug. 1774).
  23 Fri. Off in pinnace, Shag Island, Port Clerke (large harbour).
  24 Sat. In pinnace again, Goose Island, canoes visit ship.
  25 Sun. Exchanges gifts with natives, Roast goose, etc., for Christmas.
  26 Mon. Visited by canoes again.
  27 Tue. Names anchorage Christmas Sound.
  28 Wed. Sails past Cape Nativity, Ildefonso Isles to south, Duff Bay, sights Leading Hill on Hind Island, Rous Sound, off Nassau Bay, False Cape Horn (Hardy Peninsula).
  29 Thu. Sights Cape Horn, crosses Nassau Bay and passing Hermit Island and Hermite Island rounds Cape Horn and enters the South Atlantic. Passing Misstaken Cape (Cape Deceit), Deceit Island he heads NE. for the Le Maire Strait and Staten Island.
  30 Fri. Off Success Bay (1769). Sends Pickersgill ashore, meets natives. No sign of Adventure, leaves card, returns. Into Strait, passing Cape St. Bartholomew.
  31 Sat. Sights Staten Island, New Year Islands, Observatory Island. Anchors and goes ashore.

1775

Jan. 1 Sun. Sends Gilbert towards island for good anchorage, goes ashore himself. Gilbert returns with news of harbour which Cook names New Year Harbour. Sights Gull Isles.
  3 Tue. Sails, passes Port Cook inlet, St. John Harbour, rounds Cape St. John and heads SE.
  14 Sat. Sights ice island - it is South Georgia.
  16 Mon. Sights Willis’s Island (Willis Islands), and main island of S. Georgia. Passes through Stewart Strait, off Bird Island, names Cape North and sails along N. coast past Welcome Isles, Cape Buller and Bay of Isles.
  17 Tue. Off Possession Bay. Lands at three different places and takes possession of the “Isle of Georgia”. Observes many birds but no quadrupeds. Sails. Passes Cape Saunders, Cumberland Bay.
  13 Wed. Passes Cape George, Royal Bay, Cape Charlotte, Sandwich Bay. Sights Cooper Isle and Bay.
  20 Fri. Off (Filchner Rocks and Cape Vahsel), passes between Cooper Isle and Cooper Bay, sights, along SW. coast, Cape Disappointment, Green Islets and Pickersgill Isle. Observes at Union Point land first sighted on 16 Jan., therefore S. Georgia not a continent but an island (116 by 20 miles). Heads SE.
  24 Tue. Circuits Clerke’s Rocks, continues SE. and S.
  28 Sat. Among ice islands.
  31 Tue. Sights South Sandwich Isles, Freezeland Rocks (Freezeland, Wilson and Grindle), Freezeland Peak, Cape Bristol (Bristol Isle). In Forster’s Bay (Passage). Names land “Southern Thule” - now Thule, Cook and Bellingshausen Islands. Heads North.
Feb. 1 Wed. Passes Cape Montague (Montague Island).
  2 Thu. Off Saunders Island.
  3 Fri. Off Candlemas Isles (Candlemas and Vindication). Heads East.
  6 Mon. Now in open sea, concludes no continent here. Calls the islands, Sandwich Land (Snowland was a first thought!), but conjectures that there must be a tract of land near the Pole which was the source of the ice.
  15 Wed. Heads NE. to get into the latitude of “Cape Circumcision” (Bouvet, 1739), which Cook had already assumed to be an island not part of a Southern Continent.
  17 Fri. Heads East, although only 3° off Bouvet Island (rediscovered 1898 by Capt. Krech in “Valdivia” - German Deep Sea Exploration).
  21 Tue. Crosses his outward track of 15 Dec. 1772, thus circumnavigating the Earth for the second time. Heads for the Cape of Good Hope.
Mar. 16 Thu. Sights ship flying the Dutch colours - so, searches ship and collects together all Log Books, Journals, Charts and Drawings and sealed them until the Lords of The Admiralty gave permission for public use.
  17 Fri. Sights land.
  18 Sat. Sends aboard Dutch ship for news. Learns Adventure was at the Cape a year before. Sights an English ship - “True Briton” - puts letter on board for Secretary of the Admiralty, because ship not calling at Cape and will arrive home before “Resolution”.
  21 Tue. Sights Table Mountain.
  22 Wed. Anchors in Table Bay. Sends copy of Journal, etc., by “Ceres” to the Admiralty.
  23 Thu. Commences repairs, provisioning. Talks to Capt. Julien Crozet, hears of activities of du Fresne, Kerguelen and Surville.
Apr. 27 Thu. Sails from the Cape.
May 15 Mon. Arrives St. Helena. Meets the Governor, John Skottowe, son of Thomas Skottowe of Great Ayton, who had sent Cook to school. Dines, explores and investigates around Jamestown, etc.
  21 Sun. Sails from St. Helena.
  28 Sun. Arrives at Ascension, anchors in Cross Bay.
  31 Wed. Leaves Ascension, looking for St. Matthew Isle which was non-existant, but recorded on 15th Century Portuguese maps. Not finding the island. he decides to fix the longitude of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil.
Jun. 9 Fri. Off Fernando de Noronha, fixes latitude and longitude.
  11 Sun. Crosses the Equator.
Jul. 13 Thu. Sights Fayal, Pico, The Azores.
  14 Fri. Anchors at Fayal. Investigates the Island.
  19 Wed. Sails, passes St. George’s Isle, Tercera and Gratiosa.
  29 Sat. Sights land near Plymouth.
  30 Sun. Anchors at Spithead, lands at Portsmouth and sets off for London with Wales, Hodges and the Forsters. Resolution goes to Gallion’s Reach.
  31 Mon. Cook at the Admiralty.
Aug. 9 Wed. At St. James’s Palace, promoted Post-Captain and appointed to H.M.S. Kent.
  10 Thu. Appointment is cancelled. Cook is now appointed to Greenwich Hospital as Fourth Captain. at £230 per year plus quarters. Fire and light and 1s 2d daily, table money.
  19 Sat. Writes to John Walker.
Sep. 6 Wed. Writes from Mile End a letter to Latouche-Tréville. a French naval officer (translated into French), about Pacific Exploration.
  14 Thu. Writes to John Walker, from Mile End, a long letter giving Walker a full account of the Voyage.
  18 Mon. Cook writes to Admiralty Secretary about unofficial, anonymous publication of account of Voyage.

1776

Feb. 10 Sat. Cook writes, again, to Latouche-Tréville.
  24 Sat. Cook writes to John Harrison, attorney. at Guisborough about the alleged snuggling activities of his brother-in-law, James Fleck.
  26 Mon. Cook writes to Robert Sayer, chart publisher in Fleet St. concerning “The North American Pilot”.
Mar. 17 Thu. Cook is elected Fellow of the Royal Society.
Apr. 2 Tue. James Boswell, Dr. Johnson’s biographer, meets Cook and Mrs. Cook at dinner at Sir John Pringle’s house (President, Royal Society). He dines with Cook, Solander and Banks about two weeks later.
  22 Mon. Boswell visits Cook at Mile End and takes tea with him in the garden. About now, Cook begins to sit for his portrait by Nathaniel Dance.

 

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Peter, it is theoretically possible, but none of the records suggest that there was such intimacy.
At first the Maori distinguished between the sailors who had beards and those who did not, possibly thinking that they were not male. This is reflected in Cook's journal entry for 11 April 1773, where a Maori girl showed fondness for a sailor until she discovered he was a man, when she would not allow him near her.
By Cliff Thornton on 9/1/2018 10:10:52 AM Like:0 DisLike:0
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Catherine, Captain Cook did not encounter the islands of Fiji on either of his three voyages. As he did not land, he did not collect any artefacts from Fiji. Little is known about his movements ashore whilst his ships were at Plymouth.
By Cliff Thornton on 8/31/2018 7:51:08 PM Like:0 DisLike:0
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With regard to the six week period when Cook was staying in Dusky Sound NZ, is there much chance any of the visitors could have fathered children from this time with the relatively small native population there? (They were re encountered around twenty years later by the first sealing expeditions, but kept a low and mysterious profile.)
By Peter Adams on 8/31/2018 2:05:39 PM Like:0 DisLike:0
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Is there any information about Captain Cook in Fiji? Did he collect any items from here? Also are there any further links to the time he spent in Plymouth?
By Catherine Cummings on 7/7/2015 12:14:41 AM Like:2 DisLike:1
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