home > stamp sites > cook on stamps > the ships

The Ships

First Voyage
On the first voyage there was just the one ship, the Endeavour. While there are official ship drawings of her we have very little in the way of contemporary views. 

Picture

Use on Stamps

(Thumbnail) Endeavour beached for repairs at Endeavour River, northern Queensland after grounding on the Barrier Reef. Engraved William Byrne after Parkinson	(Click to see whole sheet)	Cook Islands 1984 - Part of Miniature Sheet  Cooktown is now sited on the Endeavour river, with a Cook Museum and its own memorial sculpture.
(Thumbnail) Parkinson's sketch of the Endeavour in a high sea.	? Not used on a stamp

A modern replica of the Endeavour has been sailing the world and is now based in Australia. It has its own stamp.

 

The space shuttle Endeavour takes its  name from Cook's ship and of course it has a stamp of its own as well. The shuttle name correctly takes the British spelling of Cook's ship, but curiously another US shuttle stamp has hidden text  of the  space shuttle fleet names which includes the American spelling "Endeavor" The shuttles are now retired. Endeavour can be seen at the California Science Centre in Exposition Park in Los Angeles.   A Comoros stamp has the old and the new Endeavours.

Second Voyage 
After the experience of nearly being wrecked on the Great Barrier Reef in the first voyage, Cook was determined not to be that exposed to risk again. Hence the two subsequent voyages started with two ships, though on both, they lost contact with each other and sailed long times apart.

The second voyage ships were Resolution (Cook's) and Adventure. 

Picture

Use on Stamps

Resolution by Henry Roberts		Vanuatu 1999
	Ship based on Roberts?	Niue 1950. While Resolution and Discovery passed Niue on the third voyage they did not land. When Cook landed from Resolution on the second voyage he was made unwelcome - naming Niue Savage Island. The view would seem to be based on Roberts.
Resolution and Adventure		Norfolk Island

Isn't Hodges wonderful view of Resolution with a Waterspout off New Zealand worthy of a stamp?

Third Voyage
The ships on the third voyage were Resolution (again) and Discovery

Picture	Use on Stamps
"A view of Karakakooa in Owhyhe" (Kealakekua in Hawaii) Original by J. Webber, Engraved W Byrne. The ships are Resolution and Discovery Cook was to die here Death. The City of Refuge National Historical Park   Pu`uhonua o Honaunau near here is well worth a visit.		USA 1978  The issue was on the bicentennial of the third voyage visits to Alaska and Hawaii. The scene has been trimmed to be more suited to a stamp design. (Thumbnails - Print and detail of Kealakekua used on stamp)

home  |  death  |  ships  |  artefacts |  first stamps