Cook’s first voyage took him deep into the uncharted Pacific
ON THE COVER: ARCANGEL X1, ALAMY X1, CAN STOCK PHOTO X1, DREAMSTIME X1, GETTY X6, ©CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES/THOMAS GARNIER X1, L’EQUIPE/OFFSIDE X1, COVER IMAGE ENHANCEMENT - CHRIS STOCKERDESIGN.CO.UK/ON THIS PAGE: BRIDGEMAN IMAGES X1
It sounds far-fetched enough to come from a Hollywood movie. Captain Cook set sail from Plymouth, ostensibly on a mission of scientific discovery. But, unbeknownst to his crew, he was carrying a secret secondary quest tucked away in a sealed envelope not to be opened until he completed his intitial mission. And yet that’s exactly what happened 250 years ago this month. Over the course of three pioneering voyages, Cook did more to further humanity’s understanding of the world than pretty much any explorer you might care to mention. We weigh anchor on page 28.