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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?
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