How Australia was discovered in a nutshell. Who Discovered Australia: The History of the Discovery of the Continent

Physical and geographical location of Australia

Of all the continents of the planet, the most small is mainland Australia, therefore it is sometimes called mainland island... Australia lies entirely in Southern hemisphere relative to the equator and in Eastern Hemisphere relative to the prime meridian. Any point on its surface will have only south latitude but only east longitude. In the middle of the mainland passes South Tropic, so it is located in two lighting belts- the northern part is located in the hot zone, and the southern part is located in the temperate zone. The mainland area is slightly more than $ 7.6 million sq. Km.

Northern extreme point of Australia - Cape York, located $ 10 $ degrees south of the equator and $ 142 $ degrees away from the prime meridian. South end - Cape South East Point located at $ 39 parallel and $ 146 meridian. The westernmost point is Cape Steep Point- $ 26 $ parallel and $ 113 $ meridian and finally Cape Byron- the eastern extreme point of Australia is at $ 28 parallel and $ 153 meridian. The coordinates of the extreme points indicate that the mainland has short length, both from north to south - $ 3.5 thousand km, and from west to east - about $ 4 thousand km.

Washed on three sides by waters Indian Ocean, and only the eastern shores washes Pacific Ocean... Directly the shores of the continent are washed by the seas of these oceans - Tasmanovo and Koralovoe the sea in the east, Arafura and Timor in the north. The coastline is indented weakly, so the outlines of the continent are simple. The northern coast is highly dissected, where a shallow bay wide open into the ocean juts out deep into the land. Carpentaria... In the south is Great Australian bay. There is a large island to the south of the mainland Tasmania separated from Australia Basov strait. Warm currents pass along the northern and eastern coasts. except Eurasia and Antarctica Australia is located far from all other continents. Towards Europe she is one of the most remote regions the world and lies apart from the main world trade ways. There is only one state within the continent - Australia... The largest city in the country is its capital - the city Canberra.

The history of the discovery of the mainland

The ancestors of modern Australian aborigines appeared in Australia $ 42 - $ 48 thousand years ago. They managed to get over from modern South-East Asia and were engaged in hunting and gathering. They had their own culture and spiritual values ​​based on earth worship. European scientists until the $ 18th century believed in the existence of a fourth continent in the Southern Hemisphere, which was supposed to serve counterweight and didn't let the Earth topple over. The misconception was dispelled when navigators of the late $ 18th century discovered a huge ocean with many islands, the largest of which would later be named Australia... In January, $ 1504 $ on behalf of the King of France took possession of this island-continent Bino Polmier de Gonneville... From the port Honfleur on a small caravel " Hope He went to India. The ships of all the major maritime powers in that era went the same way, but Bino's caravel accidentally deviated from the course due to a severe thunderstorm and on the same day approached the paradise land in the Southern Hemisphere. France could not celebrate the discovery of a new land because Gonneville was unable to indicate exactly in which direction he was off course. French sailors searched in vain for this land.

A Dutch navigator managed to reach its shores Willem Janszon... The Dutch in the $ 17th century pushed the Spaniards and the Portuguese out to sea, equipping large expeditions in search of new lands. So Janszon, on behalf of the East India Trading Company, surveyed the coast New Guinea... In $ 1606, his ship landed on the shore of an unknown land, and the expedition landed. This was the western part of the peninsula Cape York... Janszon assumed that this was still New Guinea, but nevertheless called this land by his name. They were met by wetlands and hostile natives. This date is still considered the date of the discovery of the mainland.

Remark 1

In the $ 40 $ -th years $ XVII $ c. the Dutch again organized an expedition to find a way to Chile, on which no one would interfere with them. The expedition was commanded by Abel Tasman... He discovered the island Tasmania, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga archipelagos, for spirit of years explored the coast of Janszon and found that it stretches for thousands of kilometers. As a result, he was able to prove that this land is not part of the southern continent, but a completely independent continent and named it New Holland... The Dutch did not divulge their discoveries, fearing English competition, and the open land was too scarce with a small population. Interest in her was quickly lost.

Australia Study

New Holland was surveyed for $ 1699. William Dampier- a famous English pirate. Observing the life of the Australian aborigines, he concluded that they were not familiar with the processing of metal, did not know agriculture and animal husbandry, and in most cases did not differ from the people of the Stone Age. Despite the fact that Dampier's notes were a huge success among compatriots, the British did not show interest in this distant land for a long time and only in $ 1770 an expedition to the southern seas was organized again. The famous English captain went on this expedition James Cook on a small ship " Endeavor». Its purpose is to conduct astronomical research... In addition, there was also secret order- to explore the coast of New Holland and declare them an English colony, which was done.

Australia and New Zealand were open to European colonization. The part of the mainland explored by Cook was named N.S.W. and was declared possession of England. According to the decision of the British government, these lands were to be developed exiled convicts... In January, $ 1,788, the first $ 11 ships arrived on the Australian coast, carrying $ 1,030 people - more than half of them were prisoners. In the place where they landed and founded a settlement, in the future it became the largest city in the country - Sydney.

Remark 2

From Sydney, an internal study of the territory of the mainland begins, the purpose of which was to search for water, minerals, pastures for livestock, conditions suitable for the life of migrants. Southeast Australia explored Lawson, Evans, Oxley, Hume and others in the first half of the $ XIX century. As a result of these studies, Australian Alps, Blue Mountains, Liverpool Mountains, Flinders, Goler. The river system was opened Murray-Darling Lake Torrance, Eyre... The northeastern part and its mountainous region were explored by a German scientist Leichard, which went along the Great Dividing Range to the Gulf of Carpentaria. In August, $ 1860 expedition R. Burke and W. Wills crossed the mainland from south to north. Simultaneously with them, the second expedition goes through the center of the continent to the bay. Van Diemen led by D. Stewart... He discovered the central mountain ranges and along his route in $ 1870 - $ 1872 $. lay the line transcontinental telegraph... Later, settlements appeared along it. A desert was discovered west of the telegraph line Gibson, Lake Amadius, Jory Giles Mountains named after the leader of the expedition, who later passed Great Victoria Desert.

In Sydney, in $ 1883, a Geographical Society Australia with departments in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane... Expeditions to explore the central parts of the continent are already sent under the auspices of this society. The materials collected by the researchers make it possible to lay a large livestock track from south to north through the desert regions of western Australia. During this period, large deposits are discovered. gold, and the territory covers " Golden fever". Exploration of the continent continues throughout the $ XX century. New deposits of minerals are being discovered, the nature of the continent is being studied. The development of new lands was accompanied by a brutal humiliation of the indigenous population, as a result of which the vast majority of Australian aborigines were exterminated. Many explorers of the continent also died or disappeared without a trace, but their labor did not disappear, but contributed to the rapid economic development of habitable territories.

15.11.2011 - 12:21

For some reason, most people believe in the myth that Australia was discovered at the end of the 18th century by James Cook, who was immediately eaten by many aborigines distressed by this fact. But this is not at all the case. Firstly, Cook died in the Hawaiian Islands, and secondly, Australia was discovered much earlier - it was visited by the ancient Egyptians!

Australis incognita

Even in ancient Greece, there were separate opinions that somewhere in the ocean there must be some unknown southern continent. An active promoter of this idea was Ptolemy, who more than once misled the minds of gullible ancient Greeks. He drew this continent on his map. Later they came up with a beautiful name for him - Terra australis incognita, an unknown southern land, and under this mysterious name he figured for many years on the maps, exciting the minds of explorers and sailors ....

Many of them tried to find the alluring Terra australis, but all searches were unsuccessful. The names of these unknown brave travelers, who embarked at their own peril and risk in sailing in unknown places, have sunk into eternity ... Some of them returned to their homeland, and someone died during storms, from clashes with the natives. But those who returned brought with them salted maps, on which new lands, islands, archipelagos were drawn with a trembling hand. However, Terra australis has never been found. Nevertheless, the western coast of the mainland was listed on one map in 1542 under the name of Great Java.

In the Middle Ages, interest in the still undiscovered southern continent did not fade away. According to the then existing theories, it was believed that a huge continent simply had to be in the Pacific Ocean, otherwise the Earth would inevitably topple over under the exorbitant weight of Europe, Asia and Africa ...

Geographers even drew up a rough plan of this land. According to them, Terra australis had an area of ​​180 square kilometers! (which is much larger than the actual size of Australia).

Many reigning persons showed an interest in the southern mainland, on which countless treasures simply had to be.

Expeditions to the glory of kings and queens were equipped, but all attempts to find Terra australis incognita ended in failure.

New Holland

The situation changed only at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1606, the Spaniard Luis de Torres returned to his homeland with stories of how he saw "the great southern continent." He passed along New Guinea along the strait that later received his name. In the same year, the East India Company sent an expedition to explore New Guinea led by the Dutchman Willem Janszon. The overclocked Janszon did not notice the Torres Strait on the map and ended up off the coast of Australia. For a long time he took these shores for New Guinea, and this is probably why his fame as the discoverer of Australia is so modest that few people know about it. Later this land was called New Holland, but no one believed that this was Terra australis incognita.

In Europe, Janszon's discovery met with almost no response. He did not bring stories about diamonds, gold placers, huge pearls and other riches and treasures. His memoranda and travel maps were kept in the archives for a long time, and the world knew little about Yansozon. But we must admit that in Soviet encyclopedic dictionaries, he always figured exactly as a researcher who discovered Australia.

However, quite recently, a sensational find was made off the coast of the mainland, after which history textbooks may have to be rewritten. In 2002, near the Australian Fraser Island, shipwreck was discovered, covered with a thick layer of sand. Research has shown that the ship belonged to the Spaniards or the Portuguese, and it arrived on the shores of Australia around 1570, that is, several decades before the Yanszon!

More recently, another name has been added to the list of Australia's pioneers. Australian journalist Peter Trickett has published his book, in which he claims that in 1522 Australia was discovered by a little-known Portuguese navigator Cristovao Mendonsa. Trickett bought authentic maps from the early 16th century from a second-hand bookstore, which contain accurate and detailed depictions of the east coast of Australia, marked in Portuguese. They show the surroundings and coastline in the Botany Bay area in the Tasman Sea. The journalist believes that these maps were compiled after the trip of Cristovao Mendonsa, which he made in 1522!

But, despite these discoveries, millions of people still consider James Cook as the discoverer of Australia. In 1768, the British Geographical Society sent an expedition led by Cook to the shores of Tahiti. The researchers were to conduct astronomical observations of Venus and, in addition, were tasked with finding Terra australis incognita.

In April 1770, Cook approached the eastern coast of Australia, where he discovered Botanical Bay. The explorer sailed on his ship along the entire east coast, named it New South Wales and declared it the property of the British crown. He soon stumbled upon the Great Barrier Reef, where he crashed. In 1771 he returned to England victorious - Terra australis incognita was finally discovered! But the mythical treasures were never found, and the British Empire decided to make this place a distant overseas prison ...

Egyptians in Australia

The new mainland was quickly settled, but in the first decades of the development of the former Terra australis incognita, everyone was not up to its many mysteries. And in Australia there was something to be surprised ...

In 1837, the English geographer George Gray explored the western and southern coasts of the mainland. On the banks of the Glenelgu River, he discovered a cave, on the walls of which images of human figures were carved. To Gray's complete amazement, these figures were not at all similar to the aborigines - strange clothes, aquiline noses, clear profiles ... However, recently versions began to be put forward that these are representatives of some highly developed civilization or aliens - they are very unusual look ...

But in the 19th century, Gray's find did not make much impression, and it was remembered only in the 20th century. In 1931, the same mysterious rock carvings were found, not at all similar to the usual art of the aborigines. A year later, archaeologists found several deep stone wells near Lake Mackay. Australian aborigines could not build such a structure even in the 20th century, and these wells were clearly of ancient origin.

Each decade brought new mysterious finds. A sensation was the information that a coin that he found deep in the ground had been lying in the house of a farmer for several years. To the shock of archaeologists, it turned out that the coin was made in Ancient Egypt in the 3rd millennium BC! Later, a pebble was found, absolutely identical to the figures of the Egyptian sacred scarab beetles.

All these findings allowed the English professor-anthropologist Grafton Eliot Smith to suggest that the Egyptians visited Australia in time immemorial.

This version was also confirmed by the strange custom of some local tribes - they mummified the dead. More recently, it turned out that eucalyptus oil, made from trees growing only in northeastern Australia, was used to embalm some Egyptian mummies.

All these findings made it possible to find the answer to the riddle that has long been of interest to scientists-Egyptologists. For a long time they were worried about the question - why on the walls of several Egyptian temples people are depicted who are not similar to any of the peoples conquered by the Egyptians. Probably, these are the inhabitants of the mysterious Terra australis incognita, the honor of the discovery of which can now be given to the ancient Egyptians ... However, as we have already said above, supporters of the theory of paleocontacts believe that both Australian rock paintings and ancient Egyptian drawings depict some unknown gods from other planets. ..

Interesting Facts:

In 1642, the governor of the East Indies, Van Diemen, equipped an expedition to search for unexplored lands in the western part of the Pacific Ocean ... The Dutch navigator Abel Tasman led the expedition. Three months later, the exhausted people reached an unknown land, which Tasman named after his patron the land of Van Diemen. Later it turned out that this is a large island, which now bears the name of its discoverer - Tasmania. Interestingly, during that voyage, Tasman could have discovered Australia, but bypassed it.

The most pressing issue for navigators of the past has always been the issue of food. During a long voyage under the hot sun, almost all food was spoiled, and people were forced to eat only breadcrumbs and corned beef for many months. From monotonous and inadequate food, sailors fell ill with scurvy and other diseases, and died in dozens. James Cook was the pioneer in expedition equipment. He was the first to come up with the idea of ​​sailing dried fruits and vegetables, and thanks to his diet, Cook's team never got scurvy, traveling for years ...

Another notable figure in the development of Australia is the Englishman Charles Sturt. In 1827 he arrived on the mainland with a group of convicts. But at the same time, he dreamed of discovery and adventure. Several years later, he embarked on an expedition inland. It was he who discovered the Darling River, which he named after the governor of the colony. Probably, the governor liked this one so much that he granted Blurr 2000 hectares of land near modern Canberra. Inspired by Sturt, he continued his exploration and discovered a desert named after him, the Strata Desert.

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26.03.2016

The Australian continent became known to Europeans only in the 18th century. Earlier voyages in the southern waters of the Indian and Pacific Ocean also took place, but documentary evidence of the discovery of new lands has not survived.

A sharp leap in research took place in the 15th century, when the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries came. As the technical improvement of ships and the development of navigation, the Europeans sailed farther and farther from their native continent. The sea route to India was finally opened, and the question became urgent for researchers and politicians: are there any inhabited lands further south that can be colonized?

The first ships, presumably Portuguese, headed towards Australia in the 16th century. However, no direct evidence of this has survived. The earliest reliably known European visit to the Australian coast is considered the expedition of the Dutchman Willem Janszon in 1605. He reached the coast of Australia and even explored it, however, mistakenly believed that this is part of New Guinea.

"Did not notice" the mainland and the Spaniard Torres, who passed through the strait between him and the island of New Guinea in the same year, and another Dutchman - Abel Tasman, who discovered Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in 1642, who visited New Zealand and the waters of the Western Australian coast.

Correct calculations, tenacity of the commander, luck and a combination of other important factors led to the fact that the honor of the discovery of the mainland and its subsequent colonization went to Britain. The English navigator and scientist James Cook became the first European who, having studied the shores of Australia, proclaimed it the possession of his country. This happened during his first voyage around the world (1768-1771).

The main stated purpose of the expedition sent by the British Admiralty was astronomical observations, with the help of which it was supposed to calculate the distance from the Sun to Venus and other planets. Under such a cover, the British, secretly from competitors, made their attempt to find the Unknown Southern Land (Terra Australis Incognita), described in the works of ancient geographers.

Having safely completed the first part of the program, the expedition moved further east. In addition to Cook, the team included other scientists: astronomer Green and two botanists (Joseph Banks and Carl Solander), as well as two artists (Buchan and Parkinson). First, they explored New Zealand, establishing that it was divided by the strait into two islands, and significantly refining the map of its coast.

The expedition then headed further east in search of new lands. At that time, it was known about the existence of Tasmania in the south and New Holland (part of Australia) - in the northwest. In May 1770, Cook's ship Endeavor reached the coast of Australia. In the bay found there, he stood for 8 days. Scientists were struck by the variety of new plant species (in honor of which the bay was named Botanical) and the local aborigines, whom they could not attribute to Negroes or Polynesians.

Port Jackson, a few kilometers to the north, was the next well-described bay. Its characterization as an ideal anchorage place for ships led to the fact that the city of Sydney was subsequently founded here. Moving on, the expedition managed to pass the entire east coast, albeit receiving damage to the ship on coral reefs.

Reaching New Holland and finding the strait between it and New Guinea, Cook went out into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Once in familiar waters, on August 22, 1770, on behalf of King George III, he announced that all the lands he explored now belonged to the British Empire. Upon his return to his homeland, James Cook gained the fame of the discoverer of a new continent.

In subsequent years, the Admiralty sent Cook twice more on expeditions in search of the southern continent and the passage connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. He made many more discoveries, although he never made it to Antarctica (another part of the "Unknown southern land" in the works of ancient scientists). In 1779, Cook was killed by aborigines in the Hawaiian Islands. And Australia from 1778 began to be used as a place for exile for criminals.

The name of the English navigator James Cook in the minds of most people is inextricably linked with Australia. Someone is sure that Cook is its discoverer, someone, recalling the humorous song of Vladimir Vysotsky, is confident in the sad connection of the local population and the death of Captain Cook. The beloved bard of the entire post-Soviet space, indeed, made a lot of confusion, being right in only one thing - James Cook was killed by aborigines, but not Australian and not for the purpose of cannibalism.

By the time Captain Cook set out on his first voyage around the world (1767-1771), during which he sailed between the east coast of Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, the Australian continent had already been partially mapped to geographical and nautical charts. The western shores were roughly indicated and partially described, but certainly there were still many blank spots, and the entire east coast was completely unexplored.

Finding Terra Incognito

Looking into history, I recall the expression "Terra Incognita", or rather "Terra Australis Incognita" - Unknown Southern Land, as the medieval geographers of the Roman Empire named a part of the land, which, in their opinion, should be located somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. This hypothesis existed for quite a long time and was the reason for numerous marine explorations not only of scientists and travelers, but also adventure seekers from different countries who are struggling to get rich. In search of this mythical southern land, the islands of Oceania, Australia and New Zealand were discovered.

The first information about the seen outlines of the unknown land came from the Portuguese. It is known that they were secretly searching for islands with gold and rare spices; in one of such voyages in 1522, the first landing on the shores of the northwestern coast of Australia was carried out. And although reliable evidence has not survived, old maps of Portuguese origin that have survived to this day show part of the coast of the Great Australian Land.

Later, in 1605-1606, a Spanish expedition with captain Luis Vaez Torres in search of the unexplored southern land, discovered the New Hebrides archipelago, circled the coast of New Guinea from the south and passed a number of large islands, unable to land due to strong currents and numerous shoals. During this voyage, Spanish sailors proved that New Guinea is an island, and became the first Europeans to cross the strait, dangerous due to coral reefs, separating it from Australia. For a long 150 years, the Spanish government managed to keep its discovery secret, until, during the Seven Years War, the documents with maps fell into the hands of the British.

At the same time, in 1606, the Dutch navigator Willem Janszon landed on the northernmost point of Australia, Cape York Peninsula. The discovered lands were named New Holland and declared the possessions of the Netherlands. Following along the coast to the south, in one of the bays, the team first met with Australian aborigines. The expedition's cartographer mapped a detailed image of the discovered coast and some of the nearby islands.

In 1616, the Dutchman Dirk Hartog discovered the western coast of Australia and walked along the coast for about 300 km. In 1619, the coast was surveyed near present-day Perth and further north. In subsequent years, Dutch ships regularly visited the shores of the new land they discovered, described and mapped bays and bays, replenished drinking water supplies on their ships, but all the time noted the coldness and disembodiment of the shores of Australia. Once a whole tragedy broke out when one of the ships, following with passengers to the island of Java, was severely damaged during a storm, and about 300 surviving people were able to escape on one of the islands. Not finding enough water and food there, the captain swam in a boat to the coast of Australia, walked along 250 km, but could not find drinking water. He had to sail for help to the island of Java, and when he returned to those who remained on the island, more than half of the survivors from the shipwreck were killed by several mutinous sailors who wanted to leave the island and become pirates. This story has become the basis of many books and plays.

The secret mission of the British Kingdom

But back to James Cook and his contribution to the discovery of Australia. The British Admiralty, equipping an expedition to the southern hemisphere to the island of Tahiti, officially announced its goal as astronomical observations of the movement of Venus, while in secret orders, Captain Cook's primary task was to move south and find the southern continent. The British Kingdom urgently needed new colonies. After completing an official assignment, Cook headed for New Zealand, discovered a previously unknown strait between its islands, which was called the Cook Strait, and in 1770 discovered the eastern coast of Australia. Having parked in one of the bays of the coast, the botanists who were part of the expedition discovered and described many unknown and unusual plants, for this occasion the bay was named Botanichesky.

Moving to the northwest and finding himself sandwiched between the shores of Australia and a huge ridge of coral reefs that did not allow access to the open ocean, James Cook discovered the strait between Australia and New Guinea, until then considered part of the Australian land. The main most important task of the leadership, the discovery of new lands of the elusive southern continent, was never completed. I must say that neither in the second nor in the third round-the-world voyage of Captain Cook Antarctica he did not manage to find. This was done in 1820 by Russian navigators Mikhail Lazorev and Thaddeus Bellingshausen.

The death of James Cook

In 1776, Great Britain equipped a third expedition led by Captain James Cook, whose task was to open a passage through North America, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. During this voyage, a group of new islands was discovered, which he called Sandwich, and later the name Hawaiian was stuck behind them. The first acquaintance with the local population, the exchange of gifts and gifts. When Cook went ashore, the aborigines prostrated themselves, showed heightened signs of respect and attention, as if he were one of their gods.

After a short rest, the team moved to the shores of North America to continue research on the instructions of the Admiralty, and then returned to Hawaii again for repairs, rest and resupply. It should be noted that in those days Cook was one of the rare European explorers of new lands, who sought to establish relationships with the aborigines through negotiations, exchange of goods and establishing communication. While most other seafarers did not stand on ceremony, slaughtered entire villages if they were refused to supply the ships with food supplies for free.

As in his previous voyages, the captain filled his ships with gifts and goods for exchange, was determined to establish friendly communication with the indigenous population. But this time everything went differently. After a short stay for repairing ships on one of the islands, the aborigines, who at first happily greeted the Europeans, began to change their attitude towards them. Conflicts and misunderstandings began, theft of things and tools. James Cook decided to urgently complete the renovation and leave the islands.

Sailing from Hawaii, the crew was caught in a storm, the ship was severely damaged and was forced to return. But they were not at all happy, clashes and clashes continued. During the next conflict, the British were forced to use weapons, in the ensuing turmoil, Cook was killed with a spear and his body was carried deep into the island.

Last honors to the captain

The legends and numerous stories that have arisen after the death of the great navigator are undoubtedly based on information about the cruelty and bloodthirstiness of the aborigines of Oceania, the islands of the Pacific Ocean and other corners of the earth remote from civilization. Many tribes of warm latitudes practiced cannibalism, obeying their culture and religion. In the Hawaiian Islands, religion was based on the worship of wildlife and the spirits of ancestors, the aborigines worshiped many gods. There were complex rituals of worship and strict religious rules, human sacrifices were performed. The second captain of the expedition, after unsuccessful negotiations to return Cook's body back to the ship, carried out a punitive operation, destroying the coastal settlements. The captain's body was returned in separate fragments, and the severed head was devoid of a jaw. What exactly did the aborigines want to do - to eat their enemy or use his remains in rituals according to their laws, one can only guess. The remaining members of the expedition buried the great traveler in the waters of the bay, which was later named sacred.

James Cook was born in 1728 on October 27 in the town of Moreton, Yorkshire County. At 18, while working in a grocery store, he unexpectedly became interested in sea travel. Cook joined the cabin boy on a dry cargo ship that transports coal. And 20 years later, he was entrusted with the management of a scientific expedition in the Pacific Ocean.

In 1770 the clumsy and heavy ship "Endeavor" stopped in the waters of one bay. Among the members of Cook's team, who went in search of the unknown southern mainland, in other words, Australia, was the scientist - botanist of the Royal Society Joseph Banks. Who was so struck by the picture of plants that seemed to him, until that time unknown to science, that he was able to persuade Cook to rename the already named bay. Since then, it has become known as the Botanical.

It must be said that an expedition with such a number of scientists on board was sent to the Pacific Ocean for the first time. In addition to Banks, naturalists from Sweden Spering and Solander, 2 artists, with assistants - only 11 people were also on board the ship. In addition, Cook himself was an excellent astronomer and cartographer. The main reason for the expedition was just observation from Tahiti of how Venus passes between the Earth and the Sun.

The Endeavor sailed from Plymouth in 1768. The following year, in June, he reaches Tahiti, where planetary observation took place. It seems that the task is completed, but Cook had a secret package instructing him to sail further south. There, the team of the expedition had to search for the previously unknown southern land.

In search of the mainland, James Cook led the Endeavor to the coast of New Zealand, which Abel Tasman discovered in 1642. As in the case of the Dutch researcher, the reaction of the local Maori population was extremely unfriendly. However, the British were ready for this hostile reception, among the expedition everything went without loss, but several islanders were still killed during the skirmish. Cook decided to thoroughly explore the coast of New Zealand. As a result of four months of research near the North Island and seven weeks near the South Island, an accurate map of this continent appeared.

In 1770, on April 1, Endeavor departed from New Zealand and headed for New Holland. A month later, the ship reached the bay, which soon became known as Botany Bay. In a ship's log, Cook defined this land as pleasant to look at, quite calm and varied. The Endeavor remained in the harbor for eight days. During this time, Joseph Banks made many descriptions of new plant species, as well as the character of local residents, which he could not attribute to either Negroes or Polynesians. The natives were initially hostile to the travelers, but several shots into the air calmed them down. Then there were no disagreements with the indigenous people.

A couple of kilometers from Botany Bay, Cook found a large natural passage to the huge harbor - Port Jackson. In his report, he described it as a good anchorage for many ships. The report was not forgotten, and many years later the first city was founded here - Sydney.

Then it took Cook four months to swim up to the top of Carpentar Bay, to the area called New Holland. The traveler makes an accurate map of the coast of the future Australia. A dozen new names appear - bays, harbors, capes, bays, which receive new English names. The kings and ministers, lords, provinces and cities of Britain - they all acquire Australian counterparts.

Not very successfully passing the large barrier reef, the ship eventually reaches the northern edge of Australia. More than once, “Endeavor” was on the verge of death, but the experience of the team and the captain helped to avoid serious problems. Only once did luck turn away from the discoverers. On June 17, the ship hit the reef and nearly drowned. This event took place near the city of Cooktown. The ship was repaired for seven weeks. And today this place in memory of past events is called Cape Tribulation, which translates as the Cape of Misfortune. It is famous all over the world for its forest. This is the only place on earth where the "Rhine Forest" goes into the ocean. The rainforest takes root from the reefs.

In "" 1770 on August 22, James Cook, on behalf of George 3, proclaims the land he solemnly explored as the property of Britain and calls it New South Wales. Perhaps this name came about because the area here reminded the traveler of the coast of Glamorgan in South Wales. With a proud sense of duty, Cook sent Endeavor to Batavia, and then to Great Britain, where he was expected to be universally recognized, an audience with the king, and a promotion. In 1771, on July 13, the ship reaches Plymouth.

Surprisingly, Cook was unable to find fresh water in New South Wales. Most likely, because the researcher did not go deep into the mainland. However, this was the reason to write in a report that he made, when he returned to the UK, that the area was uninhabitable. It was a rare occasion when a traveler made a mistake. There was fresh water, but another person had already fallen to find it. This was taken up by Arthur Philip, the captain of the first fleet, who came here with the prisoners after 18 years.

Cape Tribulation QLD, Australia