James Cook

So all my Aussies down there, they will know what I'm talking about with Cook's Cottage.

It was built by Captain James Cook's parents in England in 1755.

Okay.

The cottage was then purchased as a gift for Melbourne's 1934 Centurion like anniversary.

27 years before the cottage existed, he likely visited his parents when they lived there, but there's no evidence that he actually grew up inside and knew it.

So it's not

the Captain James Cook Cottage.

It's his parents' cottage.

In the south as in the north, the British race has again produced explorers who have fought their way into the icy fastnesses.

From the time that Captain Cook sailed round the unknown Southern Ocean more than a century ago, the British flag has waved in the forefront of the advance.

The work which Sir James Ross began over half a century since has now been carried farther than ever it was anticipated it could be.

By the voyage of the Discovery, the Antarctic continent has been revealed to within five hundred miles of the pole, and in the gallant exploits of the commander, Captain Robert Scott, there are many who see a repetition of all that made the name of Franklin so immortal.

In 1769, an expedition was sent out under Captain Kerguelen to explore the regions lying to the south of the Cape of Good Hope.

He was successful in locating the group of islands, still known as Kerguelen Islands, and sailed thence to Australia, demonstrating that no land other than these lands existed between the Cape of Good Hope and Australia.

In 1772, Captain Cook, who had already done so much to reveal the southern hemisphere to the knowledge of men, left the Cape of Good Hope with two ships, the Resolution and the Adventure, in search of the continent believed to exist somewhere beyond the regions hitherto visited.

In 48 degrees, 41 minutes southern latitude and 18 degrees, 24 minutes eastern longitude, a sudden fall in the temperature from 67 degrees to 38 degrees Fahrenheit was experienced.

It would have required no considerable expedition to destroy her in the yard, but General Grant's attention was at that time fully occupied with other matters.

She was not completed until April 1864, and her first service under her captain, J. W. Cook, was to assist General Hoke in an attack upon the town of Plymouth, which was held by a small Union force under General H. W. Wessels.

Hoke's division marched down and surrounded the place, his two flanks resting on the river above and below the town.

It was the task of the Albemarle to clear away the navy from the riverfront.

The flag of the Albemarle being shot away it was thought she had surrendered and though while loosing erroneously reported herself as sinking this caused a temporary cessation of the battle which was not renewed with much energy until night closed in.

The Albemarle whose riddled smokestack refused to draw was able by burning the lard and bacon on board to steam back to Plymouth.

She had gained great glory throughout the Confederacy by her two battles and Captain Cook was promoted to the command of the rebel navy on the coast of North Carolina.

With a few knots more speed she could have destroyed the whole Union fleet.

When was it first documented?

The first written record of the ditch was back in 1790s when Captain Cook and his crew were here.

And they recorded it as being 24 feet high and quite long.

They never did get to the end of it.

So I kept going with that.

And one of the things we discovered was that Captain Cook on his way up here trying to find the Northwest Passage, he used spruce and in his beers.

And we found that reference and stuff.

And it was like that was an aha moment, too.

He had, in his journals, he had something like over a dozen different references to the use of the local ingredients to make beer.

Captain Cook was well known for a very healthy crew.

They didn't have scurvy.

Yeah, and part of it was the fact that he was opportunistic in what he gathered for basically sustenance on board ship.