Captain James Cook was an explorer in the 1700's. Captain James cook grew up with his father in Marton, England. At the age of 18 he was a merchant seaman.

He liked the sea so much he enlisted in the Royal Navy. Because he became such a good navigator and map maker he was given his own ship to command. He took the Endeavour to explore the South Pacific where he hoped to find the Southern continent.

Captain cook went on 3 expeditions. The first expedition took him to Tahiti, New Zealand and Australia. Some of his crew liked Tahiti and the Natives so much that some of them stayed. He mapped the 2 Islands of New Zealand and ended up fighting with the local Maori tribe. His ship broke down on the east coast of Australia and 30 of the crew died of Malaria.

The purpose of his last expedition was to find passage between North America and Asia. But he searched Alaska and could not find a passage. It was on this expedition that he discovered the Hawaiian Islands.

Captain James Cook and his crew got along with the Hawaiians very well a first. Then, trouble started when the Hawaiians stole one of Cook's sailboats. Wanting to get his sailboat back, he tried to kidnap a Hawaiian chief but then a fight broke out and he was killed by the natives.

The END.