Captain James Cook’s legendary ship, the HMS Endeavor, was confirmed to be located at the bottom of Newport Harbor in Rhode Island this past week. Underwater exploration of the harbor has been conducted since the early 90s, with the Australian National Maritime Museum having performed underwater archeological analysis for over 25 years. Though it was generally believed to be true by locals, the ship, or the little that’s left of it, was confirmed to sit at the bottom of the harbor in the institute’s final report.
This corroborates the belief that the ship was purposefully scuttled by British forces in 1778~ to prevent the recapture of Newport and Aquidneck Island. The British captured Newport and the island as a whole in late-1776 and retained control over it through the Battle of Rhode Island, 1778 (where the boat was likely scuttled) until its defense was abandoned in 1779 to shift resources to other fronts. Remains of the HMS Cerberus, the HMS Lark, and other smaller transport vessels also lie in the harbor.
Captain Cook and his HMS Endeavour are notable for their voyage to and discovery of Terra Australis by way of Cape Horn and the Drake Passage. Cook, crew, and the Endeavour mapped the New Zealand islands as well as sailing around Tasmania and up along the eastern Australian coast, passing near the Great Barrier Reef (where it struck the now named “Endeavour Reef,” narrowly avoided a shipwreck). The expedition lasted from August 1768 to July 1771. The ship is seen as the first stake in Britain’s claims to Australia and New Zealand, eventually leading to more expeditions and the eventually British colonization of Oceania.
Currently, it is not known just how much of the ship remains intact, though it is likely not much. Metal ballast chunks are likely the easiest objects to uncover. Both Newport and Australia could lay claim to whatever is uncovered, but an amiable deal could likely be reached. Today, a replica of the HMS Endeavour is docked in Sydney Harbour. The final report by the Australian National Maritime Museum can be viewed online at www.sea.museum/en/maritime-archaeology/endeavour-report.
By Sam Bishop