Page from Captain Cook's journal, 1770 May 5 - 1770 May 6 [manuscript]

James Cook (1729-1779) was a noted explorer, navigator and hydrographer. In 1769 he reached New Zealand and charted its coastline. Cook sailed further west and the coast of New South Wales was sighted in April 1770. Sailing north he charted 5000 miles of the eastern coastline with great accuracy. Cook landed at Botany Bay and collected many botanical and biological specimens for later study. He took formal possession of New Zealand and New South Wales for England. Cook's second expedition sailed far south and thus confirmed that a great southern continent did not exist. On his third voyage to explore the Pacific coasts of North America and Siberia, Cook visited the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) but was killed here in 1779. Cook was also known for successfully dealing with scurvy amongst his crew, a common disease at that time.