Polar Sale will be held on 27 September at Christie's, London. A magnifying glass in tortoise shell, which belonged to captain Cook, is estimated at 20, 000 BP (US$ 37,735) .
James Cook was born on the 27th October 1728 in the little Yorkshire village of Marton. The cottage in which James was born has long since been demolished and nothing now remains, but vestiges of the pump. His memory is kept green by a flourishing Captain Cook Memorial School founded in 1850. Cook was destined to cross the oceans of the world and venture further as any man might. On his first voyage Cook had calculated longitude by the usual method of lunars
On his first voyage Cook had calculated longitude by the usual method of lunars but on his second voyage the Board of Longitude spared no expense. It sent William Wales, a highly qualified astronomer, with Cook and entrusted a new chronometer, recently completed by Larcum Kendall (K1), together with three chronometers made by John Arnold of Aldophi. Kendall's K1 was remarkably accurate and was to prove to be most efficient in determining longitude on board.
In command of his own ship, James Cook performed a crucial charting of the St Lawrence River, which made possible the great amphibious assault upon Quebec City in 1759. In 1763 he was given command of Grenville to survey the eastern coasts of Canada . These charts were used up until the early part of the 20th century.
September 25, 2006
