First Voyage
September 13, 1768 - July 13, 1771

Route map Copyright/Source

Cook became a lieutenant and was given command of the ship HM Bark Endeavour in 1768. His first mission was to make a scientific journey to Tahiti in the South Pacific Ocean. Scientists wanted to observe the planet Venus as it passed between Earth and the sun. Eleven scientists were on the expedition, including an astronomer and a botanist. Also on board were artists, whose paintings and sketches would also provide a record of the voyage.

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The Time: The planet Venus was due to travel between Earth and the sun on June 3, 1769. The event would last about six hours and wouldn't happen again for another 100 years.

The Mission: The Royal Society needed scientists to observe the transit of Venus from two very different latitudes: one in the Arctic Circle, and one below the equator in the Pacific Ocean. They hoped that by observing this event they could finally calculate the distance between Earth and the sun.

The Problem: The sun would be visible all day and night from anywhere in the Arctic Circle, but in the south, observing the entire six-hour transit of Venus would be challenging. The island of Tahiti was located in the perfect spot, but it was further south than most European ships had ever been before.

Secret Instructions: The Royal Navy had given Cook secret instructions, to be opened only after the transit of Venus. The instructions ordered Cook to search the Pacific Ocean south of Tahiti for the Great Southern Continent, and to claim it for England. This continent, believed to stretch across most of the southern Pacific, was unknown to Europeans, although Dutch explorers had searched for it in the 17th century. It was thought to be a land rich in minerals, spices and other resources.

The Endeavour landed at Tahiti. The islanders were friendly and eagerly began trading with the visitors. They mispronounced Cook's name, calling him "Toote," which became his nickname among the ship's crew. Cook and the scientists set up their equipment and observed the transit of Venus. On Saturday, June 3, 1769, Cook wrote in his journal:

	"This day proved as favourable to our purpose as we could wish, not a Clowd was to be seen the whole day and the air was perfectly clear, so that we had every advantage we could desire in Observing the whole of the passage of the Planet Venus over the Sun's disk…." Suthren, Victor. To Go Upon Discovery. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2000, p. 173-174.

However, the team's calculations contained mistakes and didn't match those of other scientists who had observed the transit of Venus from elsewhere. Because of this, the distance between Earth and the sun remained a mystery.

The Endeavour headed south in search of the Great Southern Continent. On board was a Tahitian named Tupaia who knew a lot about Pacific geography. With his help, Cook reached New Zealand, becoming only the second European explorer in history to do so. Cook spent six months mapping New Zealand's coast. He explored and mapped the eastern coastline of Australia and made contact (most of it friendly) with the Aborigines there. From them, the word "kangaroo" first entered the English language.

Cook concluded that Australia was not the Great Southern Continent. The Endeavour made its way to Java in the East Indies in October 1770, and returned to England in 1771, after three long years at sea.