WI:early death of Captain Cook

January 1769, the HM Bark Endeavour sinks with all hands off Cape Horn. There will be no British discovery of Australia and New Zealand for the time being. An important part of Cook's mission was to sail to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus across the Sun. This astronomical study prompted many travels to distant lands. The failure of 1769 would mean there would be no immediate need to repeat another mission to the South Pacific.

Of course the South Pacific would have to be explored. But would a delay effect the colonial history of the region? Would it still be the British who colonized Australia and New Zealand?
 

Seldrin

Banned
January 1769, the HM Bark Endeavour sinks with all hands off Cape Horn. There will be no British discovery of Australia and New Zealand for the time being. An important part of Cook's mission was to sail to Tahiti to observe the transit of Venus across the Sun. This astronomical study prompted many travels to distant lands. The failure of 1769 would mean there would be no immediate need to repeat another mission to the South Pacific.

Of course the South Pacific would have to be explored. But would a delay effect the colonial history of the region? Would it still be the British who colonized Australia and New Zealand?

My history is a little hazy when it comes to this, but I think that cook mentions in one of his journals, sighting a french ship close to Australia either while he was there, or while he was coming back. The thing about Australian colonisation though, is where the party arrives, if they are anywhere along the west or southwest coast, the area will be charted and that's about it, no-one really wants a desert. However, if a ship happens to land along the east coast, it will be almost definetaly colonised, especially if any trips inland are made, because (once again my history is hazy) if i recall correctly, in the Bendigo region of Victoria, there were literally gold nuggests lying on the ground.
 
My history is a little hazy when it comes to this, but I think that cook mentions in one of his journals, sighting a french ship close to Australia either while he was there, or while he was coming back.
Don't know if it's the same, but La Perouse was around Australia just after Cook, but he disappeared soon after.
 
Top