(energetic perky music)
(energetic music)
- Yeah.
After all the explorers I've told you about
you would think that by the last half of
the 18th century all the continents would be known
and all well charted but it wasn't so!
They were still looking for the great southern continent,
that had to exist to counter-weight
all the others, you recall.
- The continent must exist (mumbles),
it is for you as First Lord of the Admiralty
to dispatch an expedition!
- Yes it's true the French sent
Monsieur de Bougainville to the region,
hoping he would discover it.
We can do no less.
But to command such an expedition
I will need an exceptional individual, dear sir.
- Oh yes sir you have before you a member
of the Royal (chuckles) Society!
- Sir as you know I'm well connected since
my uncle Lord's Mayor of London.
- And I Lord Northumberfew can prepare to
finance the expedition if I am in command.
- Look gentlemen, what I require is an
experienced mariner who is - Yes, yes.
- also an excellent mathematician
and astronomer, - And!
- who can make the charts and have
the courage to meet any eventuality.
I have therefore chosen James Cook.
I will see him.
(officious music)
- But he's the son of a peasant!
- He's never seen the inside of a university!
- He holds no rank!
(tapping) - Mr. Cook, we are
well aware of your modest background,
but we also know your high qualities of skill and bravery.
Your grade will now be Lieutenant of the Fleet.
What vessel will you want for the expedition?
- Well your lordship, one without a deep draft
will be able to sail in shallow waters,
a large, stable ship.
It must carry scientific equipment
and supplies to support us two years.
Above all it must be strongly built.
- Well it's one in a million,
eh, and, do you know of such a ship?
- Yes sir, a coal-hauling barge.
(arguing)
- (mumbles) is a royal expedition, really!
- No, I wouldn't set foot on it!
- Uh hmm.
A perfect solution Mr. Cook,
I should have thought of it myself.
I shall assign Lieutenant Charles Clerke as your aid.
Allow me to remind me, your mission
is primarily to make and record
accurate astronomical observations,
but naturally you may claim lands here and there
for his glorious majesty.
Why not (chuckles)?
Send in Clerke!
(officious music)
(ink splashing) - Sir Charles I, eh,
the man has no manners!
(chuckling)
- Here is the ship I told you about Lieutenant Clerke,
of course it will need certain modifications.
It needs a good scrub down, reinforce the hull,
install four large cabins, treat her against shipworm.
It's a good idea to put in cannons on pivots.
Replace the mast, it's too (grunting)
high, naturally we'll adapt the sails to it!
- 34,000 pounds of bread, 6000 of flour,
200 gallons of beer, 6000 pounds of pork,
7000 pounds of sauerkraut.
6000, well you must like it Captain!
Sauerkraut, Mr. Clerke, can protect our sailors
from developing scurvy aboard ship.
This is Mr. Joseph Banks, a Naturalist of the Royal Society.
Welcome!
- I have brought some assistants along.
A botanist, a painter, a draftsman,
my personal scientific secretary,
my servants, uh, my equipment, and my dogs.
- Are you absolutely sure that's all?
- Oh yes.
(comical music) (laughing)
(water splashing)
(laughing)
- Mr. Sim, he's our astronomer.
And last but not least a goat
to supply milk for the officers.
Go aboard Nick.
I think we can leave.
- Everything's aboard! - That's good, I'm looking
forward to a splendid voyage!
- Uh! (goat bleating)
You're gonna be in trouble one of these days!
(grunting)
(tense music)
- [Maestro] After a year at sea they can all
take a well earned rest in the island of Tahiti.
Bougainville had been there the year before.
(grunting) - Oh!
(island music) (singing in foreign language)
(girls giggling)
(grunting)
- [All] Aloha, aloha!
- Set our course due south and we'll find out
if the southern continent really exists.
(cheerful music)
I say that if there is such a continent it's well hidden!
- Land!
(speaking foreign language)
(tense music)
(shouting in foreign language)
- What!
(shouting)
- Don't you worry, I'm gonna teach
these savages-- - Hey, no stop!
It's because they believe
we're here to attack them!
Under no circumstances should we make use
of our superior weapons!
Look there!
Come back on board!
Since you like to make loud noises,
fire a cannon round, but only into the air!
(cannon booming)
(excited shouting)
- [Maestro] Cook sailed right around New Zeeland
and then went on to Tasmania.
- Captain!
That land where we're sighting off our bow,
could it be the lost continent?
(waves splashing)
- No Charles, according to my calculations
that would be New Holland.
- Today we call it Australia.
- We need a sheltered bay, we'd better
set a course to the north.
(pleasant music)
(water splashing)
(grunting)
- Will 'ya look at that!
I never saw anything to compare.
(birds chirping)
Marvelous!
These plants are entirely unknown!
Oh!
Whoo!
Ah! (growling)
Oh! (screaming)
(growling) (dogs barking)
(dogs whining) (teeth chattering)
(tense music)
(gun firing)
(grunting)
(thumping)
- Oh, oh, count me out!
(laughing)
- [Joseph] A duck!
- I never saw a duck before walking on four feet!
- Four drumsticks on every duck!
- Nice collection you've got.
Why don't we call this cove Botany Bay?
- [Maestro] And it was right here that 20 years later
the first Australians arrived,
convicts that England wanted to get rid of.
In a year they built the city of Sydney.
- Take a look!
- No doubt!
They're fires, people are living there,
probably Hottentots.
- Hmm, yes. - Shall we visit them?
- Yes.
(birds chirping)
(laughing)
- Here!
- They appear to be gentle and loving.
We must (mumbles), let's go away in peace.
(sailor sniffing)
- Mm, yeah. - Yum...
(grunting)
(shouting)
(tense music)
- Ow!
(dramatic music)
- Ow!
- Let's go, it's time!
- Oh oh! - Oh oh oh oh!
- This thing is really dangerous.
- [Sailor] Throw it away!
(grunting)
- Ack!
- 30 meters, 29, we're running into shallow water Captain!
Now 10, now nine!
- Stand ready, drop anchor, lower sails!
(plucky music)
At last this could be it!
Lower the boats!
- Huh?
- Hmm, look there!
- These are coral reefs, every one of 'em sharp as a razor!
(perky music)
(creaking timbers)
- We've run into a reef!
It's split the hull!
- The pumps, quickly, quickly!
Get the boats away, with anchors!
(grunting)
Drop anchors!
- Turn away, heave to!
- Heave ho, heave ho, heave ho!
- Oh my word, she won't budge!
- We're too heavy in the water!
Lighten the ship!
- Tide's coming in, will it raise her up?
- No. - What?
- It won't be enough.
The yard arms and masts, overboard!
(moaning)
(plucky music)
- I think it's working!
- It'll be high tide at about 10 o'clock tonight.
Every man stand ready!
This is it, put your backs in!
(grunting)
(cheering)
- We're still shipping water, Captain!
- A sail, we'll use it to shore the hull!
- One two and three, jump!
- [All] Ah!
- Um, good!
- Find us a sheltered creek,
we'll follow you! - Aye aye Captain!
- You see that, this chunk of coral plugged up the hole,
otherwise we'd have been lost!
- It's going to be at least two months
before our ship is seaworthy again.
Better get started.
(mumbling)
- We wish to see Lord Sandwich.
- The First Lord of the Admiralty?
No one intrudes on his lordship sir.
- Just say that Captain Cook is here.
- Captain Cook and the Lieutenant Clerke!
- Cook, I remember the touching reception
his majesty accorded you, recently on your return!
Really quite splendid, good show!
Well, you did manage to prove that
the mythical southern continent does not exist.
However, did you find a passage to the Pacific
through to the North Atlantic?
- A passage through the north-west?
- Right so, as it happens we shall require
an experienced sailor like you Captain, if we explore it.
Would you, uh well I wouldn't assume to suggest
that is yes, uh, (clear throat), uh...
- I'm ready and willing your lordship!
- As I am.
- Well I'm delighted, I wouldn't have dared presume, oh yes.
Forthwith, you are now promoted
to the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy.
And you are a captain, Mr. Clerke.
Oh don't leave gentlemen, I'll have sandwiches brought!
- Sandwiches, Lord Sandwich?
- Yeah, it's sort of my invention, (chuckles).
(bell ringing)
This way I can dine and work at
the same time. - Um, ah!
- Mmm.
An excellent invention mi-Lord Sandwich!
- [Sandwich] Oh thank you!
(pleasant music)
(island music) (singing in foreign language)
- [Maestro] And Cook discovered the Hawaiian islands.
- Two very large islands.
What are we naming these?
- In his Lordship's honor, they are the Sandwich Islands.
(birds singing)
- The god Lono went away long ago
but he will return to us one day and
when he returns it will be with riches, hmm!
- Everybody, come and see!
There are great temples, out in the water!
Come and see!
(comically tense music)
- Huh?
- Oh long gone Lono you are here at last!
- They think you're a - What's that?
(mumbles) son of a god. - That's fine, surely they'll
sell supplies to their god.
We have to reach the northern Pacific by early summer!
(serene music)
(groaning)
Eh, ah, oh!
(cracking)
Drop down all sails!
- Captain there's a hole in the hull!
She's filling up! - Right!
The pumps quick!
(wind howling)
(grunting)
- Doomed! - W-what, well have to
put in for repairs!
Oh!
(thumping)
(relaxing music)
(wind howling)
- Up! - Aye aye sir!
- No, it's not the passage.
Yet another wrong try, we must go farther north!
Here we ought to reach the straights
discovered by Bering
- Yes. - half a century ago.
It will mean that Asia's to the left,
America to our right.
(industrious music)
(villagers chattering)
It appears we're in Asia.
We'll go on, heading northeast,
and if there is such a passage it's there!
(desolate music)
(wind howling) I reckon that we've
crossed the Arctic Circle.
What could be there behind the ice?
Nick, go aloft and report!
- Aye aye sir!
(grunting)
There's no passage there!
- Just as I thought!
We'll sail along the coast to the east.
Past midnight, but in this latitude
in summer there's no night.
Let's go to sleep.
(relaxing music)
- [Nick] Captain, Captain!
- [Sailor] What you have?
- Oh what's the matter?
- The ship's almost trapped in the ice!
A little while, and we won't be able to move the ship!
- [James] I'm coming!
- We have to free the ships!
- All hands to work!
(grunting) (energetic music)
(cheerful music)
- (groans) Just in time!
Just a bit more ice and we'd have spent the winter here!
(mumbles) - We'll sail west and
run into Siberia.
There might be a clearer passage toward Europe.
(relaxing music)
Go have a look!
- Huh, uh, aye aye Captain!
I'll have a look all right!
It's completely blocked, ice as far as I can see!
- Then we'll return to the Sandwich Islands
and wait til the Spring thaw!
- [Maestro] And so Captain Cook decided
to return to Hawaii, where they had
been so well received, to give the crew a rest.
Little did he know what fate had in store for him there.
(rustic island music)
(speaking foreign language)
- Huh?
- Well I'd say it's pretty clear
you've been elected god.
- Hmm!
(festive drumming)
- You know Charles they are a contented people
in good health, we run the risk of spreading
any number of diseases for which they have no defense.
The crew has been at sea for a year,
no telling what mischief they might cause.
Confine them to ship and allow none
of the natives to come on board!
- Well that's not easy. - Yes.
- Now they won't let us go ashore,
only the officers be allowed!
Not right that!
- I'm going I am! - So will I!
(curious music)
(water splashing)
(laughing)
- Leave the mah-kee alone!
- Ya! - Ow!
(grunting)
- He can not be the god Lono,
his men call him by another name, Cook.
I have heard them!
- Yeah I want them gone and quickly!
- And now there are more and more fights
and they won't obey me and go ashore!
I can't put my whole crew in irons!
- We'd better go!
(mumbling)
(cheering)
- Lower all sails!
(shouting)
(crashing)
(tense native drums)
- Huh?
(grunting)
- We regret we had to return.
We need a tall tree to cut a new mast!
- Uh-uh, uh-uh!
(speaking foreign language)
- Just five men ashore at a time,
they won't permit any more!
- Then we accept!
I don't want another incident!
(crashing)
(thumping)
- [Sailor] We'll come back for it tomorrow morning!
(energetic music)
(water splashing)
(laughing)
- The wise man's canoe, they stole it!
- We'll steal one of theirs!
- Right! - Ha!
- Why would they do it?
We've been very helpful, in everything for them!
- Hey, they've stolen a boat!
- We can't permit that!
- (growls) Don't you worry Captain,
I'm gonna teach 'em a lesson!
(tense music)
- Hold your fire, no matter what!
- Everybody keep calm, they have strong weapons!
(gun firing)
(shouting in foreign language)
(guns firing)
(shouting)
(groaning)
- Oh!
(concerned music)
Captain Cook has been killed!
- Mm-Mm-mm!
- [Sailor] I say we (mumbles) and kill the lot of them!
- Yeah right! - Kill 'em, kill 'em all!
- All right, stop now, I'm in command!
I order all of you back on board!
Anyone not obeying orders will be hanged!
It was an accident (mumbles),
it had to have been an accident!
- Look at them!
(energetic music)
- Captain Cook.
- May God rest his soul,
and may his earthly remains be
consigned to the Pacific which he so loved.
(water splashing)
- Captain James Cook left for posterity
the first real map of the Pacific Ocean.
Oh yes.
Mm yes, he, he was the first explorer who wasn't after gold.
His only quest was for knowledge.
(mysterious thrilling music)