Transportation

A view of Karakakooa in Owyhee (Hawaii) Copyright/Source

James Cook served on many ships in his lifetime. The most famous are the ones he sailed on his voyages of exploration: HM Bark Endeavour, HMS Resolution, HMS Adventure and HMS Discovery. Originally designed as coal-carrying ships, they had been refitted so they could be used for exploration.

Cook's ships moored in Resolution Cove, Nootka Sound, Vancouver Island Copyright/Source

Life at Sea

Life at sea was hard work and often dangerous. The weather was unpredictable and could quickly turn treacherous with severe storms and powerful winds. The crew had to watch carefully for hidden sandbanks, submerged rocks and other unforeseen dangers that could seriously damage the ships.

Sailors coped with seasickness, sore muscles, hands torn from the ropes, exhaustion, homesickness, frightening climbs up the rigging, bad cooking, smelly crowded quarters, little sleep and no privacy.

	The spread of disease was a constant worry because sailors spent months at sea, living together in close quarters. To keep his men healthy, Cook ordered them to bathe every day, to wash their clothing, and to air out their bedding. He also provided them with nutritious food -- including plenty of fruits and vegetables -- to prevent the spread of scurvy. This dreaded disease was known for killing a third of a ship's crew during a long sea voyage, but few of Cook's crew became ill with scurvy. Of those who did, none of them died.

The Endeavour

The Endeavour became famous because James Cook sailed it on his voyage of exploration to the Pacific Ocean from 1768 to 1771. It was registered as a bark, which is a term for a three-masted, flat-bottomed ship.

The Endeavour was tubby and almost 30 metres long. She could carry 94 people and store about four tonnes of cargo per person. Her flat-bottomed hull allowed her to go into shallow waters. While the Endeavour was not a warship, she carried 10 four-pounder cannons and 12 small swivel guns. She had on board the most modern scientific equipment of the time, for studying astronomy.

Yet, like many 18th-century ships, the Endeavour looked a lot like a floating barnyard. Besides the passengers on board, there were also four pigs, three cats, two dogs, one goat and several dozen birds. When she first set sail on August 26, 1768, the ship was carrying enough food and supplies to last 18 months.

	The Endeavour only took one voyage with Cook. Afterwards, it was sent for repairs and eventually ended up in Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A. Today, you can visit a full-scale and accurate copy of Cook's famous ship www.anmm.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=439 at the Australian National Maritime Museum.