King of the Pacific - Captain Cook (Meeting the Masters) (Chinese/English Bilingual Version)

Author: Lin Liang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: James Cook was an English explorer, navigator, and cartographer who lived over two hundred years ago. He made three voyages to the Pacific and created an accurate map of the Pacific. At the same time, he was also the first European to reach the east coast of Australia and visit Hawaii. People are accustomed to calling him "Captain Cook."
In 1728, Captain Cook was born near Whitby in Yorkshire, England. He grew up in poverty and worked in a grocery store after graduation. At the age of eighteen, he embarked on a merchant ship as a junior sailor, beginning to learn navigation.
At that time, his captain was named Waller, who greatly admired Cook. He once told other sailors, "This boy is smart and quick-witted. With more practice, he will surely become a great navigator!"
Over the next ten years, Cook sailed across the North Sea and as far as the Scandinavian Peninsula. He encountered many storms during the journey but managed to turn danger into safety through his calmness. However, Cook did not want to stay on merchant ships forever, so he joined the navy. His excellent navigational skills quickly earned him recognition, and with the accumulation of experience, he was promoted to captain at the age of thirty-two.
In 1767, the British government decided to send a ship to the Pacific to observe the phenomenon of "Venus transiting the Sun" and hoped to find the "Abundant Southern Continent" in the Pacific.
The British government sought experienced captains, and Captain Cook was selected.
Choosing the right ship was crucial for a long sea voyage. Following his own judgment, Captain Cook chose a coal transport ship from Whitby and named it "Endeavour." Although Endeavour was only about thirty meters long, its hull was strong and its hold was spacious, allowing it to carry a large amount of food and fresh water needed for the expedition.
After thorough planning, in 1768, Endeavour set sail with nearly one hundred crew members, including astronomers, botanists, landscape painters, and natural ecology experts. It was a perfect combination of science and exploration.
Endeavour's route was to sail from Britain westward across the Atlantic to South America, then along the coast of Brazil southward, rounding the southern tip of South America, the "Cape Horn," and entering the vast and mysterious Pacific.
This was Captain Cook's first expedition.