The Second Expedition

1772-1775

  In July 1772 Resolution ship, commanded by Captain Cook, and Discovery, commanded by Lieutenant Furneaux, set sail from Britain  towards the Antarctic in search of the Great Southern Continent. The ships sailed on to rendezvous in New Zealand (May 1773). The ships became the first known to have crossed the Antarctic Circle (17 January 1773). The ships in New Zealand (February-May 1773) set off to explore the central Pacific, calling at Tahiti (August), where, from the island of Raiatea, they took aboard Omai . After visiting Amsterdam and Middelburg, two islands that Cook called the Friendly Islands (October) the ships became separated and never met again. Both ships returned separately to New Zealand. (November) A boat’s crew from the Adventure were killed by Maori (17 December) and the ship sailed for Britain, arriving July 1774.

 Cook on Resolution attempted another search for the Great Southern Continent (November 1773), crossing the Antarctic Circle on 20th December 1773. However, the ice and cold soon forced him to turn north again and he made another search in the central Pacific for the Great Southern Continent. In January 1774 he turned south again, crossing the Antarctic Circle for the second time. Cook sailed north, arriving at Easter Island in March 1774. Cook was too ill to go ashore but a small party explored the southern part of the island. The artist William Hodges painted a group of the large statues of heads (moia) for which the island has become famous. Cook then sailed to the Marquesas (March); Tahiti (April) and Raiatea (June); past the Cook Islands and Niue, or Savage Islands as Cook called them; Tonga (June); Vatoa, the only Fijian Island visited by Cook (July); New Hebrides (July-August); New Caledonia (September) and Norfolk Island (October); before returning to New Zealand (October 1774).
In July 1772 Resolution ship, commanded by Captain Cook, and Discovery, commanded by Lieutenant Furneaux, set sail from Britain  towards the Antarctic in search of the Great Southern Continent. The ships sailed on to rendezvous in New Zealand (May 1773). The ships became the first known to have crossed the Antarctic Circle (17 January 1773). The ships in New Zealand (February-May 1773) set off to explore the central Pacific, calling at Tahiti (August), where, from the island of Raiatea, they took aboard Omai . After visiting Amsterdam and Middelburg, two islands that Cook called the Friendly Islands (October) the ships became separated and never met again. Both ships returned separately to New Zealand. (November) A boat’s crew from the Adventure were killed by Maori (17 December) and the ship sailed for Britain, arriving July 1774.
 Cook on Resolution attempted another search for the Great Southern Continent (November 1773), crossing the Antarctic Circle on 20th December 1773. However, the ice and cold soon forced him to turn north again and he made another search in the central Pacific for the Great Southern Continent. In January 1774 he turned south again, crossing the Antarctic Circle for the second time. Cook sailed north, arriving at Easter Island in March 1774. Cook was too ill to go ashore but a small party explored the southern part of the island. The artist William Hodges painted a group of the large statues of heads (moia) for which the island has become famous. Cook then sailed to the Marquesas (March); Tahiti (April) and Raiatea (June); past the Cook Islands and Niue, or Savage Islands as Cook called them; Tonga (June); Vatoa, the only Fijian Island visited by Cook (July); New Hebrides (July-August); New Caledonia (September) and Norfolk Island (October); before returning to New Zealand (October 1774).