Third Voyage of James Cook (1776–1780)

Conception

Upon his return from the second voyage, James Cook received considerable recognition in Britain. He was promoted to the rank of post-captain and subsequently appointed Fourth captain of Greenwich Hospital with a pension of £230 per year. Cook soon found himself unsatisfied with a quiet life. He missed the intellectual challenges of exploration. He felt confined by his new circumstances, as shown in his own words about moving from the vastness of the Southern Hemisphere to the restricted space of his home. Although he admitted the post offered comfort and a good income, he was uncertain whether he could adapt to a life of ease and retirement.

By this time, Cook was nearly forty-seven years old. He suffered from a short temper, ongoing digestive issues, and possibly a diseased gall-bladder. Years at sea had left him physically and emotionally tired. The search for the Northwest Passage promised new opportunity. This sea route, if it existed, was believed to provide access to the trading nations of Asia. The belief in such a passage was built on scientific misunderstandings, including the notion that sea water could not freeze. Many scholars thought that ice at sea must come from rivers on land, so without nearby landmasses, the seas would be open and navigable. Cook’s own observations in Antarctica had challenged these ideas, but his findings were not yet widely published or accepted. Attempts to find the Northwest Passage had a long history.

Preparation and personnel

Initially the Admiralty had wanted Charles Clerke to lead the expedition, with Cook, acting as a consultant. During a dinner on 9 January with the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Sandwich, Cook stated while discussing the selection of officers that he would lead the voyage himself.

The Resolution under Cook sailed with a crew of 112, while the Discovery commanded by Clerke carried 70. Both ships drew from a group of officers with experience in exploration. The lieutenants from the previous voyage had been promoted to commanders. Clerke was notably the only officer to join all three expeditions under Cook. At 33, Clerke had matured since the first voyage. He gained technical skills, became a reliable officer, and was known for his sense of duty, though he lacked training as a surveyor. He was sociable, generous, and had strong relationships with colleagues, but suffered personal financial difficulties, which once left him imprisoned for debt.

John Gore, an experienced circumnavigator and the oldest officer after Cook, became first lieutenant of the Resolution. He had previously missed out on promotion due to absence on another venture. Gore was practical, dependable, sometimes speculative, and often reserved in his journal-keeping, but showed occasional creativity in naming places. James King joined as second lieutenant of the Resolution. He was in his mid-twenties, with both naval and political connections.

Voyage

Cook left the Nore on 25 June and sailed to Plymouth. There, marines came on board, and the Discovery’s crew joined as well.

When Cook left Ship Cove for Tahiti, he was already behind schedule. The original plan had been unrealistic, and delays meant he would miss the optimal season for exploring the North Pacific.

By the end of April 1777, the ships reached the Friendly Islands (Tonga), where they stayed for eleven weeks. The crew rested and replenished stores, but observers noted changes in Cook’s behaviour.

The journey from Tonga to Tahiti lasted four weeks, hindered by a severe squall that damaged the Discovery but caused minimal delay. In early August, he discovered Tubuai, an island in the Austral group.

Cook’s orders required him to reach the American coast near 65° north by June. Starting from 17° south, he had six months to cover a large distance, including a complex coastal route along North America from 45° north.

The ships continued north with mostly favourable winds, and on 18 January, land was sighted. This was not North America, but one of the islands in the Hawaiian group. The ships approached the eastern coast of Kauai on the afternoon of 19 January.

From Hawaii, Cook went northeast on 2 February to explore the west coast of North America north of the Spanish settlements in Alta California.

On 26 November, Cook’s ships sighted Maui under clear skies. They had missed Oahu and Kauai after an eastern deviation. The island impressed the crew with steep cliffs, strong surf, and the extinct volcano Haleakala partly hidden by clouds.

Homeward voyage

After finishing repairs and restocking water, the ships left Kealakekua Bay on 22 February and sailed north. They stopped at some islands for fresh supplies but faced rudeness from locals, likely due to news of their earlier conflict. At Kauai, King managed a tense situation during a watering mission when locals tried to extort high payments and stole his sword. King chose not to escalate the incident. Later, a misunderstanding among King’s men about honour delayed their departure, but they left together after seeing armed locals approach. A warning shot was fired, and a native was likely wounded. The next day, a large armed guard was sent with another party, but the area was deserted and under tabu. Chiefs explained the hostility was due to disputes over goats left earlier, not news of Cook’s death.

The ships departed the Sandwich Islands on 16 March, heading northwest. In late April, they approached Kamchatka after enduring poor weather and frequent ship separation. The Resolution was leaking badly, and the crew worked the pumps constantly. On 29 April, they entered Awatska Bay, to deliver letters and buy supplies. King went ashore over treacherous ice, fell through, but was rescued. Local armed men took them to the village, and after opening their letters, sent a message to the governor at Bolcheretsk. King and his party were given dry clothes and food, but told they must wait for a reply before further contact. The Discovery joined them on 1 May.

Publication of journals

Cook's account of his third and final voyage was completed upon their return by James King. Cook's own journal ended abruptly on 17 January 1779, but those of his crew were handed to the Admiralty for editing before publication. In anticipation of the publication of his journal, Cook had spent much shipboard time rewriting it. The task of editing the account of the voyage was entrusted by the Admiralty to Dr John Douglas, Canon of St Paul's, who had the journals in his possession by November 1780. He added the journal of the surgeon, William Anderson, to the journals of Cook and James King. The final publication, in June 1784, amounted to three volumes, 1,617 pages, with 87 plates. Public interest in the account resulted in its selling out within three days, despite the high price of £4 14s 6d.

As on the earlier voyages, unofficial accounts written by members of the crew were produced. The first to appear, in 1781, was a narrative based on the journal of John Rickman entitled Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage. The German translation Tagebuch einer Entdekkungs Reise nach der Südsee in den Jahren 1776 bis 1780 unter Anführung der Capitains Cook, Clerke, Gore und King by Johann Reinhold Forster appeared in the same year. Heinrich Zimmermann published in 1781 his diary Reise um die Welt mit Capitain Cook.