Career

Collecting localities

Collections

Literature

Biographical data

 

Cook, James

 

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 1: Cyclopaedia of collectors)

(Source: Flora Malesiana ser. 1, 8: Cyclopaedia of collectors, Supplement II)

 

Born: 1728, Marton, Yorkshire, England. Died: Febr. 14, 1779, murdered at Hawaii.

 

career:

Volunteered for the Navy in 1755 and was afterwards appointed Marine Surveyor to the coast of Newfoundland Labrador. In 1768 placed in command of the ‘Endeavour’ and successively making 3 famous voyages round the world (see below).

The genus Cookia Sonn. was named in his honour.

 

Collecting localities:1

In the ‘Endeavour’, 1768-71.2 cf. Banks (detailed itiner. etc.), Solander, and S. Parkinson.-In the ‘Resolution’ and ‘Adventure’, 1772-75.3 Accompanied by J.R. and J.G.A. Forster, and A. Sparrman; not operating in the Malaysian territory.-In the ‘Resolution’ and ‘Discovery’, 1776-80.4 cf. sub D. Nelson (itiner. etc.) and W. Anderson. Only after Cook’s death, under the command of J. King in Malaysian territory.

 

collections:

Herb. Brit. Mus. [BM]: e.g. Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. var. parviflora (Blume) DC. s.n. from Java.5 This plant must have been collected towards the end of 1770.

Many MSS and drawings relating to his voyages in Libr. Brit. Mus. and in Roy. Soc. London.6

 

literature:

(1) ‘The three famous voyages of Capt. James Cook round the world. Narrating his discoveries etc. with the account of his murder at Hawaii, and the subsequent voyage of Capt. King etc.’ (London, no date, 1 vol., with numerous ill., portr., and biogr.).

cf. also I. Lee: ‘Early explorers in Australia’ (London 1925).

(2) cf. J. Hawkesworth: ‘Account of the voyages for making discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere, etc.’ (1773). cf. also literature sub Banks.

W.J.L. Wharton: ‘Capt. Cook’s Journal during his first voyage round the world made in H.M. Bark Endeavour 1768-1771’ (London 1893).

J.C. Beaglehole: ‘The Journals of Capt. James Cook. The Voyage of the Endeavour, 1768-1771’ (1955 Cambridge, Hakluyt Society, vol. 1).

(3) J. Cook: ‘A voyage towards the South Pole and round the world. Performed in His Majesty’s ships the Resolution and Adventure in the years 1772-1775, etc.’ (London 1777, 2 vols).

‘Reizen rondom de waereld’ (Transl. into Dutch by J.D. Pasteur, 1795-1800, 6 vols; voyage 1772-75).

(4) J. Cook: ‘A voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Undertaken by the command of His Majesty, for making discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere etc. in his Majesty’s ships the Resolution and Discovery in the years 1776-1780’ (London 1784, 3 vols + atlas; 3rd vol. by Capt. James King). Only the French transl. was available in Java.

(5) cf. Koster in Blumea 1, 1935, p. 413.

(6) cf. ‘The history of the collections of the Brit. Mus.’ 1, 1904, p. 33; and Journ. Bot. 61, 1923, p. 260-261.

See also ‘Captain Cook’s artists in the Pacific 1769-1779’, compiled by Anthony Murray-Oliver (New Zealand 1969, pp. xxiv, 168,130 pl.).

 

biographical data:

cf. sub Liter. 1, Cook’s Voyages, p. xii-xx; A. Kippis: ‘The life of Captain James Cook’ (1788) (non vidi); Biogr. Index Britten & Boulger in Journ. Bot. 26, 1888, p. 218 and in 2nd ed. by Rendle, 1931; cf. sub Liter. 2, Wharton, Cook’s Journal, 1893, p. xvii-li+ portr.; Wittrock, Icon. Bot. Berg., 1903, p.90; J.D. Milner, Catalogue portraits at Kew, 1906, p. 29; portr. in I. Lee, Early explorers in Australia, 1925, opposite p. 26.