The wreck of the Endeavour has been found off Rhode Island

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James Cook (1728-1779) was a British explorer, navigator and captain, and the first to make European contact with the east coast of Australia. In his vessel, Endeavour, he sailed thousands of miles in three voyages in the Pacific Ocean. In 1770 he landed at Botany Bay, on Australia’s east coast, sailing north, and subsequently claiming the whole coastline as British territory. In 1779, during his third exploratory voyage, he was attacked and killed during a skirmish with some Hawaiian islanders. Now, maritime experts are convinced they have found the remains of his ship, Endeavour. The ship was scuttled in Newport Harbour, off Rhode Island, as part of the American War of Independence in 1778. Efforts are now focussed on how to protect and preserve it. It’s a shame that things are destroyed in the heat of the moment instead of their historical significance being recognised at the time. I’m thinking, for example, of the wonderful buildings and artworks destroyed in Bosnia and surrounds when that region was at war. The photo is of a replica of Cook’s ship, Endeavour, which has a very interesting history of its own. Another time perhaps.