James Cook

Breetish explorer James Cook, portrait bi Nathaniel Dance, c. 1775, Naitional Maritime Museum, Greenwich

James Cook (7 November [A.S. 27 Oktober] 1728 – 14 Februar 1779) wis a Breetish explorer an a navigator. He was a cairt maker forbye. He made three voyages tae the Paceefic Ocean, chairtin its main shorelines.

Innin

James Cook was born in Marton in North Yorkshire on 7 November [A.S. 27 Oktober] 1728, naur whit is the day recognized as the town of Middlesbrough. Cook was ane o five bairns born tae Grace an James, Sr., wha wrocht as a day labourer on a ferm. As a bairn, Cook flittit wi his familie tae Great Ayton. Whan Cook wis saxteen, he wis prenticed tae a shopkeeper in the fishin clachan o Staithes. Gaun bi tradeetion, it wis durin his time thare that Cook first felt the tice o the sea whan govin oot the shop windae. Efter aboot a year an a hauf in Staithes, the shop fiar brocht Cook tae the naurby port toun o Whitby an introduced him tae the shipwricht John Walker, that gied him employ as a prentice on a collier that distributit coal alang the Inglis coast. Whan wirkin tae Walker, Cook begoud tae study algebra, trigonometry, navigation, an astronomy, skeels he wad need ae day for tae commaund his ain gailey. Cook rose in the ranks o the merchand fleet but tint the commaund o his ain collier in 1755 on the e'en o the navigation Years War for tae stairt ower at the neathmaist level in the Breetish Ryal Navy.

James Cook's 1775 chairt o Newfundland