James Cook’s Third Expedition, 1776 - 1780 Following Cook’s first voyage, a copy of his journal was provided to the British Admiralty, the standard procedure at the time. Cook’s journal, and the Byron, Wallis and Carteret journals too, were given to Dr. John Hawkesworth who was tasked by the Admiralty to prepare authorized versions. The resulting three volumes by Hawkesworth were published in 1773. When Cook saw the Hawkesworth volumes in 1775 after landing at the Cape of Good Hope on return from his second voyage, he was angered at the alterations and omissions and Hawkesworth’s significant profit. Cook reacted by producing a journal from his second voyage, completing substantial edits and rewrites before setting out on his third voyage. For the third voyage, Cook wanted to produce a literary version of his journal for public consumption. Unfortunately, his death in Hawaii left that journal unrevised. Prior to Cook’s third voyage, the Danish navigator Vitus Bering (1681-1741) proved that Asia and North America were separate by sailing through Bering Strait in August 1728. However, the Russian Semyon Dezhnyov had sailed through Bering Strait in 1648, but his report went unnoticed until its discovery in 1736 by German historian Gerhard Müller. Müller’s description in 1761 of Bering’s voyages included a map which was the authority until Cook. Shown below, it includes several inaccuracies: the Aleutian islands are a peninsula, “Cape Shelagsk” is completely incorrect, perhaps a derivation of Wrangel Island, and Alaska’s coast lacks detail. For his third voyage, Cook was instructed to find "the North-West Passage to the northward of California” because the British Admiralty wanted a northern, navigable route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific. Cook is to proceed from the Cape of Good Hope to find “Islands said to have been lately seen by the French” (the Kerguelen Islands), and then head to Tahiti to return Omai to his native home, to New Zealand, and then proceed north.

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James Cook’s Third Expedition, 1776 - 1780 Two ships are selected for the voyage, the John Webber Resolution and the Discovery. Unlike the first sketch of voyage where the refitting of the Endeavor Resolution was closely supervised by Cook, the (1776-1780) Resolution was refitted without his attention to detail. The ship proved to be leaky and had ongoing mast problems. John Gore is named first lieutenant, James King is second lieutenant, and William Bligh (of Bounty infamy) is master. John Webber whose sketches appear here, is the official artist. The Discovery is a newly-purchased, eighteen month old Whitby cat commanded by Charles Clerke, the only officer to be aboard all three Cook voyages. However, the Discovery’s departure is delayed by three weeks because Clerke is in King’s Bench Prison (debtor’s prison) due to guaranteeing debts incurred by his brother John. In prison, Clerke contracts tuberculosis that ultimately kills him on the third voyage. On July 12, 1776, Resolution sails from Plymouth to await Discovery at the Cape of Good Hope. They proceed to Prince Edward Island, the Kerguelen Islands, Tasmania, and New Zealand, departing New Zealand February 1777. Cook spends some time on Tonga and Tahiti but his journal makes clear that relations with the locals are faltering. There is a plot on his life by the Tongan Chief Finau and John Webber sketch of Resolution and Discovery in there are increasingly severe Christmas Harbour, Kerguelen Island, December punishments of natives involved 25-30, 1776 in theft. Cook spends Christmas on the newly named Christmas Island, then discovers the Sandwich Islands, landing at the westernmost of what are now the Hawaiian Islands of Kauai and Ni’ihau. By March 1778 Cook reaches Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island where the crew repair the fore- and mizen masts of 2 of 7

James Cook’s Third Expedition, 1776 - 1780 Resolution. There is contact with locals who clearly know of Europeans through the fur trade, and according to Cook, were skilled at stealing items from the ship. Webber’s sketches of Nootka Sound, houses, and inside a “habitation” are shown below. His portraits of the inhabitants, later “enhanced” by George Anderson, are shown below.

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James Cook’s Third Expedition, 1776 - 1780 Sailing north, Cook reaches Prince William Sound (PWS) where more repairs address Resolution’s ongoing leaks. Below is Webber’s sketch of Snug Corner Cove along with a matching photo from David Janka, Auklet Charter Services, PWS. Webber has applied some artistic license. Cook explores Prince William Sound and verifies it is not a through passage and heads west, turning north into the next promising inlet. John Webber, May 1178 “A View of Snug Corner Cove”

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James Cook’s Third Expedition, 1776 - 1780 John Webber, 12-20 May 1778 “A View in Prince William Sound”, a drawing of two native canoes hailing Resolution. The Chugach Mountains are in the background.

Cook consumes two weeks scouting the upper arms of Cook Inlet before finding fresh water and turning south. The map below, drawn after Cook’s expedition (by R.Bonne and N.Desmarest) (1787-1788), shows Resolution’s track to “R. Turn-Again”.

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James Cook’s Third Expedition, 1776 - 1780 Cook passes through the Aleutian Islands into the Bering Sea via Unalaska Island where they trade and meet locals. A drawing of a house shows a ladder to the entrance at the top, separate apartments for multiple families, and a central common area. Cook writes “…the middle of the house, which is common to all….is covered with dry grass [and] it is a receptacle for all the dirt in the house and the place for the Urine trough, the stench of which is not a bit mended by raw hides or leather being almost continually steeping in it.” He describes their efficient ways of making a fire by striking stones over tinder and by using wood drills. They are “remarkably cheerfull and friendly amongst each other and always behaved with great civility to our people.” Cook sails northward along the Alaska coast to Cape Prince of Wales. At Bering Strait they can see land on both sides fading into the distance. After three months searching for a northwest passage, further progress is blocked at 70 ° 44’N by a wall of ice. He names this place “Icy Cape.” Cook then heads south, stopping in Norton Sound and Unalaska.

Inhabitants of Norton Sound and their “habitation”

Sketch by John Webber, 1778, of two Chukchi from the Chukotskiy Peninsula, Russia

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James Cook’s Third Expedition, 1776 - 1780 Cooks sails south across the Pacific and reaches Maui on 26 November, 1778. To prevent trading and sexual contact, Cook refuses to land and for over a month tacks offshore. The crew is near mutiny. Relenting, Cook finally anchors in Kealakekua Bay on the west side of Hawaii (sketch below). He is greeted warmly by the natives but the relationship with them becomes strained. Both ships leaves on February 4, 1779.

Pacific gales break the Resolutions’s mast and they return on February 11th to Kealakekua Bay where Discovery’s cutter is stolen. Cook goes ashore the next day. Fighting breaks out and Cook is killed on February 14, 1779 along with four Marines. His remains are buried at sea in Kealakekua Bay.

Clerke becomes commander of Resolution and Gore now commands Discovery. Clerke is reluctant to retaliate, but after a watering party is stoned by the natives, he has houses in a village burned and people are bayonetted or shot. Two heads are placed on poles as further warning. Clerke chooses to carry on with the mission and sails north to Kamchatka where he gives copies of Cook’s journal and the account of his death to the Russian’s. The Admiralty receives them seven months later. Clarke and Gore continue searching for a northwest passage, but the ice is still impenetrable. When Clerke dies near Kamchatka from tuburculosis, Gore takes command of Resolution and King becomes commander of Discovery. They sail for home and reach the Thames on October 4, 1780. 7 of 7