![]() Often used as a deterrent, the offender would be flogged leaving terrible wounds to their back. This was a rope whip with 9 ends and 3 blood knots in each strand. Throughout the journey, salt water was taken from the sea and converted into fresh drinking water using a ‘still’, which was very important to the health of the crew.ĭiscipline was maintained in the harsh Georgian Navy through flogging, using a device known as the 'cat o' nine tails'. These were often mixed together as a potent drink. And when this was used up, sauerkraut was served.Ī typical daily menu on the ship consisted of breakfast with boiled wheat and sugar, otherwise known as gruel, followed by a midday dinner of salted beef stew and vegetables, with an evening meal of soup and an issue of ship‘s biscuits - which were so hard they had to be broken up with a Marlin spike.Īll sailors were entitled to a daily ration of 'flip‘, which included 8 pints of beer and 2 tots of rum or brandy. The ship's provisions included approximately 5,500 litres of beer, 7,300 litres of spirits, 16 tonnes of bread, 2 tonnes of salted beef, over 3 tonnes of sauerkraut and much more.Ĭook became the first Captain to prevent scurvy in his crew by loading large quantities of vegetables on board. So, you can imagine this was not the most comfortable place to live in! Bark Endeavour was still very compact and many areas below deck only had headroom of less than 1.5 metres.Īt no more than 30 metres in length, the ship had to accommodate 95 people, plus provisions, supplies and equipment. The Endeavour then spent 6 months charting New Zealand and Cook claimed possession of Eastern Australia, before returning to England via New Guinea, Java and the Cape of Good Hope.Īlthough over twice the size of our own ship, H.M. ![]() Although a necessary scientific instrument was stolen by the natives, the transit of Venus was successfully observed. The Admiralty chose Captain James Cook to lead the expedition and he departed from Whitby on his first voyage in August 1768 and rounded Cape Horn, before reaching Tahiti almost a year later. The ship was then taken to Deptford, near London, to be fitted out and was re-named 'H.M. King George the Third helped fund the expedition and the ‘Earl of Pembroke’ was purchased for just under three thousand pounds. Edmund Halley, after whom the famous Halley‘s Comet is named, had predicted this would happen in June the following year. In 1768 the Royal Society wanted to send an expedition to Tahiti, in the Pacific Ocean, to observe the Planet Venus crossing the face of the sun. Originally known as the ‘Earl of Pembroke’, the ship was built as a Whitby ‘Cat', or Collier, and designed to carry coals from North East England to London. Similar to our own ship, Captain Cook's Endeavour was constructed in Whitby during 1764 by Thomas Fishburn. These charts were still used up until the early part of the 20th century. ![]() James Cook made a significant contribution to the British Navy’s war efforts and went on to chart the Eastern coast of Canada over a 4 year period. In just 4 years he was promoted to Master and then took command of his first ship. Then, at the age of 18, he became a seaman and joined a Whitby Collier working in the Baltic Sea.ĭuring the war with the French in 1755, the 27 year old Cook enlisted in the Navy and within a month was promoted to Masters Mate. After starting his career as a farm labourer, he moved to work in a merchants store in Staithes. James Cook was born in Marton-in-Cleveland, before moving to nearby Great Ayton, where he went to school.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |