The New Student's Reference Work/Cook, James, Captain

Cook, James, Captain, a great English navigator, was born Oct. 28, 1728, the son of a farm-laborer. In 1755 he entered the royal navy and became a master-mariner, and at this time surveyed the shores of and the. In 1768, as lieutenant in command of a ship, he sailed to Tahiti with an expedition to observe the transit of. On the return voyage he sailed around for the first time, mapped its coasts and explored the east side of.

His second voyage was spent of the  on the edge of the sea of ice.

His third voyage was made as captain in charge of two ships. After discovering, which he named the Sandwich Islands, he followed the North American coast, trying to find a northwest passage from the to the. He reached, but, forced to turn back, he made Hawaii in 1779. Here he was murdered by the islanders Feb. 14, 1779. Captain Cook, perhaps more than anyone else, added to our knowledge of the Pacific and s. His surveys also have stood later tests and been found accurate.