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canetoad

(17,169 posts) Tue Sep 18, 2018, 09:40 PM Sep 2018

HMB Endeavour found: One of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time solved

Source: The Age

By Matthew Knott
19 September 2018 — 9:45am

New York: Marine archaeologists believe they have finally identified the resting place of HMB Endeavour, the ship James Cook commanded to Australia on his first voyage of discovery, an achievement that would solve one of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time.

The breakthrough has raised hopes the vessel will be excavated next year, in time for the 250th anniversary of Cook's arrival in Australia. The ship is historically significant to many countries - including the US, Britain, New Zealand and Australia - and its excavation could spark a battle over where the wreckage should be housed.

The breakthrough, to be officially announced on Friday, follows an arduous 25-year search for the historic ship off Newport, Rhode Island, on the north-eastern coast of the US.

Archaeologists from the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project will release a detailed 3D image of the site in Newport Harbour where they believe the ship is located.

Read more: https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/hms-endeavour-found-one-of-the-greatest-maritime-mysteries-of-all-time-solved-20180919-p504lx.html

I thought the HMB was a typo (HMS) but the ship is alternately known as His Majesty's Bark Endeavour.

18 replies

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HMB Endeavour found: One of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time solved (Original Post) canetoad Sep 2018 OP

Term: bark, barque (n) htuttle Sep 2018 #1

Interesting snippet canetoad Sep 2018 #4

I figured it just meant "Boat," which doesn't sound very Majestic Frequency Kenneth Sep 2018 #7

I thought the same! BumRushDaShow Sep 2018 #14

Barky McBarkface Bob Loblaw Sep 2018 #15

!!!! BumRushDaShow Sep 2018 #16

Frankly I think it would be more fitting to return it to the UK as it started cstanleytech Sep 2018 #2

The main reason for Cook's first voyage was to observe the 1769 Transit of Venus. roamer65 Sep 2018 #3

Capt Cook was also instructed to map the coastline of everything he encountered as well. ... Hekate Sep 2018 #10

Off of Rhode Island? 25 years? babylonsister Sep 2018 #5

Hey Sis!! canetoad Sep 2018 #8

Too bad they didn't pick Lord Douchebag jberryhill Sep 2018 #9

I was expecting it to be found some where whistler162 Sep 2018 #13

It discovered the Great Barrier Reef... El Supremo Sep 2018 #6

According to The Guardian, in 1999 then RI AG Sheldon Whitehouse went to federal court ... Princess Turandot Sep 2018 #11

Fascinating. And I've just finished 'Blue Latitudes' by Tony Horwitz GoneOffShore Sep 2018 #12

This message was self-deleted by its author Maxheader Sep 2018 #17

"One of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time solved" ? EX500rider Sep 2018 #18

htuttle

(23,738 posts)

1. Term: bark, barque (n)

Reply to canetoad (Original post)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 09:42 PM

Sep 2018

Definition:
1) A three masted sailing ship, square-rigged at the fore and main masts, and fore-and -aft rigged at the mizzen
2) A small sailing ship, or any vessel propelled by sail or oars.

Just learned this.

canetoad

(17,169 posts)

4. Interesting snippet

Reply to htuttle (Reply #1)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 10:04 PM

Sep 2018

"When the EARL OF PEMBROKE was selected for the voyage, her name was changed to HMB ENDEAVOUR. She was square rigged but was called a "Bark" because there was another HMS ENDEAVOUR in the Royal Navy. "

Lots more info here: http://www.rimap.org/channels/rimap-endeavour (Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project)

Frequency Kenneth

(78 posts)

7. I figured it just meant "Boat," which doesn't sound very Majestic

Reply to htuttle (Reply #1)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 10:39 PM

Sep 2018

Thanks for the explanation, ya scurvy dog!

BumRushDaShow

(129,106 posts)

14. I thought the same!

Reply to Frequency Kenneth (Reply #7)

Wed Sep 19, 2018, 05:54 AM

Sep 2018

I was like WTF? "Boat"?

Bob Loblaw

(1,900 posts)

15. Barky McBarkface

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Reply #14)

Wed Sep 19, 2018, 06:28 AM

Sep 2018

BumRushDaShow

(129,106 posts)

16. !!!!

Reply to Bob Loblaw (Reply #15)

Wed Sep 19, 2018, 06:34 AM

Sep 2018

Not as pretty as this guy will be when it finally launches -

cstanleytech

(26,298 posts)

2. Frankly I think it would be more fitting to return it to the UK as it started

Reply to canetoad (Original post)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 09:56 PM

Sep 2018

its journey there so it only makes sense that it ends it there.

roamer65

(36,745 posts)

3. The main reason for Cook's first voyage was to observe the 1769 Transit of Venus.

Reply to canetoad (Original post)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 10:04 PM

Sep 2018

https://australianmuseum.net.au/blogpost/museullaneous/transit-of-venus

The rest of the trip was subservient to that task.

Hekate

(90,714 posts)

10. Capt Cook was also instructed to map the coastline of everything he encountered as well. ...

Reply to roamer65 (Reply #3)

Wed Sep 19, 2018, 12:18 AM

Sep 2018

Hence a lot of Pacific nation and island flags have or had a Union Jack in the corner -- lke Hawai'i.

babylonsister

(171,070 posts)

5. Off of Rhode Island? 25 years?

Reply to canetoad (Original post)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 10:12 PM

Sep 2018

That made me laugh, but good find!

canetoad

(17,169 posts)

8. Hey Sis!!

Reply to babylonsister (Reply #5)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 11:19 PM

Sep 2018

It wasn't called the Endeavor when sunk - it was renamed the Lord Sandwich and used as a supply ship, troop carrier and even a prison for American revolutionaries. Fascinating stuff!

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)

9. Too bad they didn't pick Lord Douchebag

Reply to canetoad (Reply #8)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 11:48 PM

Sep 2018

whistler162

(11,155 posts)

13. I was expecting it to be found some where

Reply to babylonsister (Reply #5)

Wed Sep 19, 2018, 05:13 AM

Sep 2018

near Alice Springs.

El Supremo

(20,365 posts)

6. It discovered the Great Barrier Reef...

Reply to canetoad (Original post)

Tue Sep 18, 2018, 10:20 PM

Sep 2018

by running into it.

Princess Turandot

(4,787 posts)

11. According to The Guardian, in 1999 then RI AG Sheldon Whitehouse went to federal court ...

Reply to canetoad (Original post)

Wed Sep 19, 2018, 12:47 AM

Sep 2018

... and successfully claimed the shipwrecks in Newport Harbor as property of the state under an old maritime law, along with current US federal law. Several of the ships there were scuttled by the British Navy during their blockade of the harbor in 1778. (By then, Endeavor was privately owned but under lease to the Navy.) Among other things, they wanted the legal authority to protect the artifacts from pilferage, fortune hunters etc.

From 2016: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/may/31/captain-cooks-ship-endeavour-claimed-by-rhode-island-as-search-goes-on
....

If the ship legendary explorer Captain James Cook used to sail around the world and claim Australia for the British is found at the bottom of Newport Harbour, Rhode Island will own it outright because of a legal manoeuvre it took nearly two decades ago based on an obscure, centuries-old maritime practice.

In 1999, Rhode Island went to federal court in Providence to do what’s known as “arresting” the shipwrecks in the harbour – having the government take possession of them so a federal court could consider the state’s ownership claim.

In the colonial era, if a ship was in port and money was owed for repairs, supplies or other fees, it could be impossible to locate the owner or even figure out who the owner was, said Dennis Nixon, an expert in marine and coastal law at the University of Rhode Island....The claimant could go to an admiralty court to have his interest or ownership in the vessel declared. The court could secure the ship in port until the bill was paid or until an ownership dispute was settled, Nixon said. The court also could sell the ship at auction if the bill went unpaid.

In a modern twist, Rhode Island asked the federal court to use its admiralty and maritime jurisdiction to secure the wrecks and declare the state the owner.

GoneOffShore

(17,340 posts)

12. Fascinating. And I've just finished 'Blue Latitudes' by Tony Horwitz

Reply to canetoad (Original post)

Wed Sep 19, 2018, 03:21 AM

Sep 2018

All about Cook and his voyages. Horwitz retraced Cooks voyages (mostly) in 2005(not sure of the exact dates) around the Pacific.

Very cool book.

Response to canetoad (Original post)

Maxheader This message was self-deleted by its author.

EX500rider

(10,849 posts)

18. "One of the greatest maritime mysteries of all time solved" ?

Reply to canetoad (Original post)

Wed Sep 19, 2018, 03:05 PM

Sep 2018

While it's very cool they found it, it wasn't much of a mystery, it was a know fact that she was sunk with 12 other ships off Rhode Island, in August 1778 to form a blockade of the Narragansett Bay.

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