The First Expedition

1768-1771

In 1768 Cook was chosen to lead an expedition to the South Seas to observe the Transit of Venus and to secretly search for the unknown Great Southern Continent (terra australis incognita). Cook and his crew of nearly 100 men left Plymouth (August 1768) in the Endeavour and travelled via Madeira (September), Rio de Janiero  and Tierra del Fuego to Tahiti. At Tierra del Fuego Cook’s men went ashore and met the local people. Leaving Tierra del Fuego Endeavour rounded Cape Horn and sailed into the Pacific Ocean. Samuel Wallis on the ship Dolphin ‘discovered’ Tahiti in 1767. He recommended the island for the Transit of Venus observations and Cook arrived here in April 1769. Cook, like Wallis two years before him, anchored his ship in the shelter of Matavai Bay on the western side of the island. In Matavai Bay Cook established a fortified base, Fort Venus, from which he was to complete his first task – the observation of the Transit of Venus (3rd June 1769).
  Cook and his crew experienced good relations with the Tahitians and returned to the islands on many occasions, attracted by the friendly people of this earthly paradise.  Just as Cook was planning to leave Tahiti two members of Endeavour’s crew.. Endeavour left the Society Island in August 1769. Tupaia acted as interpreter when they came into contact with other Polynesian peoples and helped Cook to make a map of the Pacific islands.
  Cook sailed in search of the Southern Continent (August-October 1769) before turning west to New Zealand. The first encounters with the native Maori of New Zealand in October were violent, their warriors performing fierce dances, or hakas, in attempts to threaten and challenge the ship’s crew. Some of their warriors were killed when Cook’s men had to defend themselves. Eventually relations improved and Cook was able to trade with the Maori for fresh supplies. Exploring different bays and rivers along the way Cook circumnavigated New Zealand and was the first to accurately chart the whole of the coastline. He discovered that New Zealand consisted of two main islands, north (Te Ika a Maui) and south (Te Wai Pounamu) islands (October 1769-March 1770).