Australia in uproar ship James Cook found – AD.nl

Almost 250 years ago, the British explorer James Cook set foot in Australia. His three-masted Endeavour played a decisive role in the history of the country. An American researcher claims to know where the wreck of the research vessel is now. Australia is in an uproar.

The discovery of the wreck would be of great national and actually international importance

Kevin Sump Tion, director of the Australian National Maritime Museum

The replica of the Endeavour. © ap.

Cook knew that ship, was hardly controllable, to sail without having had a map. through a minefield of coral reefs That was extraordinary

Iain McCalman, a historian at the University of Sydney

A Portrait of James Cook in 1782 by John Webber. © AFP.

The replica of the Endeavour. © anp.

The American maritime archaeologist Kathy Abbas states that the wreck lies on the bottom of the harbor of Newport. She worked there for years on a large-scale project. This week draws them into the Australian Embassy in Washington an agreement with the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney to collectively determine the position of the ship closer and then mountains, hopefully just in time to celebrate. The 250th anniversary of Cooks trip

Lord Sandwich
“They want to be part of the team that finds the wreck,” said Abbass to news agency AP. “And we’re close.” She explains how she learned more about the position of Endeavour after archival research in the late 90th and how at the time of sinking the Lord Sandwich was called instead of the Endeavour.

Abbas has good hope to find out if there are any wreckage lying or that the vessel over the years has been completely destroyed and destroyed about ships and heavy duty anchors. Nine other ships have been found.

Find of great significance
“As the final resting place of the Endeavour is found that would be a find are those of large national and actually international significance, “says Kevin Sump Tion, director of the museum in Sydney. Its museum has a replica of the ship.

According to Australian historian Alexander Cook (no relation, ed.), Affiliated with the University since 1993 to 1994 in Canberra, finding the wreck interest increase of people in the “incredible story” of the Endeavour and its captain.

National Mythology
“The story is part of our national mythology,” he says. , Agrees historian Iain McCalman from the University of Sydney. It meant a marker in the history of the country. Britain set foot on land, founded a colony and brought development. For the past inhabitants of the country, the discovery meant the arrival of invaders.

“How do people appreciate the discovery of Cook, he knew that ship, which was hardly controllable, to sail without having had a map. Through a minefield of coral reefs That was extraordinary, “said McCalman.

Terra Australis
Endeavour and James Cook, the concepts are in Australian history lessons. Young students get the stories out there about the voyage of the ship, historic between 1768 and 1771, almost stamped. The Briton was sent by his homeland of discovery, both to bring from Tahiti, then on the other hand (secretly) to sail to discover. ‘Terra Australis’ the orbit of the planet Venus in map It was suspected that the continent was about.

After a stop in New Zealand in 1770 Cook put ashore in eastern Australia to later bring. Coastal map According to tradition, the Endeavour was an ugly ship, and certainly not the most seaworthy that existed. Cook made damage when he was with the wooden vessel hit rocks in the Great Barrier Reef, but narrowly escaped disaster. The ship was repaired and in the years thereafter used by individuals and the British navy.

Finally the vessel during the American War of Independence in 1778, was sunk as a blockade of Narragansett with thirteen ships, Bay, Rhode Island, on the east coast of America. But just where the wreck was unknown. Up to now.