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Captain's Cook's original mission was to observe the transil of Venus from the vantage point of Tahiti. He was then under orders to try to find the great unknown southern continent, and claim it for Britain. In so doing, he charted the eastern coastline, making extensive notes on the people, flora, fauna and prospective suitability for colonisation, and reported back to England.

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15y ago
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12y ago

James Cook was sent to observe the transit of Venus across the sun from the vantage point of Tahiti. Cook's ship, the 'Endeavour', departed England, on 25 August 1768 for this scientific mission. After this, Cook had orders to head south and west and secretly search for the unknown Great Southern Continent, or Terra Australis Incognita. He was to make notes and observations on the continent, and to claim for England any lands he thought were suitable for colonisation.

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14y ago

James Cook's original mission was to observe the transit of Venus (June 1769) from the vantage point of Tahiti. He was then under orders to try to find the great unknown southern continent of Terra Australis Incognita, which some believed to extend round the pole, and claim it for Britain.

It was shortly after observing the transit of Venus that Cook came across New Zealand, which had already been discovered by Abel Tasman in 1642. He spent some months there, charting the coastline. Nearly a year later, he set sail east for New Holland, the eastern coast of which he later named New South Wales and claimed for Great Britain. He made extensive notes on the people, flora, fauna and prospective suitability for colonisation, and reported back to England, ultimately recommending New South Wales as a penal colony.

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12y ago

The original mission of James Cook, who was not yet a captain when he comanded the Endeavour, was to observe the transit of Venus from the vantage point of Tahiti.

Cook was then under secret orders to try to find the great unknown southern continent, and claim it for Britain. In so doing, he charted the eastern coastline of what he called "New South Wales" (now Australia), making extensive notes on the people, flora, fauna and prospective suitability for colonisation, and reported back to England.

It is significant that, contrary to popular belief, James Cook did not discover Australia. The continent he explored had been discovered over 150 years before, by the Dutch and possibly even the Portuguese before then.

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Q: What was the purpose of Captain Cook's Endeavour voyage?
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Related questions

Where was captain cook's first voyage to?

Captain Cooks first voyage was to Europe


What was captain cooks most important voyage?

To Australia


What are the measurements of Captain Cooks Endeavour?

it was 32m metres long. i can't remember how tall it was though. sorry


What was cooks boat called again?

HMS Endeavour, (or HM Bark Endeavour), was commanded by Lieutenant James Cook on his first voyage of discovery, to Australia and New Zealand from 1769 to 1771.


What year was captain cooks second voyage?

13th july 1772 - feb 1776, took three years and eighteen days


What were the crew members lives like on captain cooks ship called the Endeavour?

James Cook treated everyone with the same respect and no one different whether or not they were a officer Senior officer or a cook.


When did cooks voyage finish?

1771


What kind of ship was captain James Cooks' Endeavour?

The Endeavour was HM Bark Endeavour.There were two reasons by which a ship might be classified as a "bark":1. A bark was any ship which did not match the usual classification of ship and if it was commanded by a Lieutenant. At this stage, Cook was still a Lieutenant, and had not yet been promoted to captain.2. A bark could also refer to a ship with a flat bow and square stern.The Endeavour was also an ex-collier, or coal-carrying ship - formerly the Whitby cat collier "Earl of Pembroke". It had been bought by the British navy and converted so it was suitable for exploration and scientific pursuits.


How did Cooks children die?

his daughter had cancer


Where was captain cooks mother born?

Britain


What was the nickname of Captain Cooks crew?

the gaybos


What did the hawaiians trade for captain cooks iron?

food?