Admiralty sheer draughts of the Endeavour, 1768.

Admiralty sheer draughts of the Endeavour, 1768. © National Maritime Museum, London

Repro ID: D7008

Description: The 'Endeavour' was ideally suited to exploration because her shallow draught allowed her to sail close to the shore. Despite her shallow draught, the 'Endeavour' nearly came to grief when she struck the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's eastern seaboard. With superb seamanship Cook managed to beach the 'Endeavour' and, after repairs, managed to pick his way through the maze of reefs into the open sea again. 'Such is the Visisstudes attending this kind of Service & must always attend an unknown Navigation where one steer wholy in the dark without any manner of Guide whatever', he remarked laconically in his journal.

Creator: Unknown

Date: 1768

Credit line: National Maritime Museum, London