The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. I. Being the First of the First Voyage.

Born to a modest Yorkshire family, James Cook rose from a schoolboy apprentice to a skilled seaman, earning his first command after years of diligent service in the Royal Navy. His talent for surveying and chart‑making caught the attention of scientific circles, leading to his selection for a crucial astronomical mission. In 1768 he was promoted to lieutenant and given the sturdy merchant vessel Endeavour, refitted for exploration.

Tasked with observing the transit of Venus, Cook set sail from Plymouth and soon found himself navigating the remote waters of the South Pacific. After a successful astronomical observation in Tahiti, he pressed on to chart the uncharted coasts of New Zealand, proving the islands were not part of a larger continent. The voyage then turned toward the eastern shores of Australia, where Cook anchored in Botany Bay, opening a new chapter of European contact with the continent’s indigenous peoples.