Why was James Cook's second voyage delayed?

James Cook's second voyage of exploration, commissioned to search for the hypothetical southern landmass Terra Australis, faced an initial delay. This delay was brought about by ship modification requests made by the botanist Joseph Banks. Following these adjustments, the ships Resolution and Adventure were successfully fitted for the journey and set sail in July 1772.

What we know

• The second voyage of James Cook was commissioned by the British government with advice from the Royal Society to determine whether there was any great southern landmass. [4]
• Alexander Dalrymple and others of the Royal Society still believed that a massive southern continent should exist before Cook disproved it. [4]
• The expedition's departure was delayed due to ship modification requests made by the botanist Joseph Banks. [4]
• After the modifications and preparations were completed, the ships Resolution and Adventure set sail for the Antarctic in July 1772. [2, 4]

Where to go next

• what caused itWhat was the purpose of James Cook's second voyage?
• what followedHow did the Resolution and Adventure perform in the Antarctic?
• how it workedHow did William Wales calculate longitude on the voyage?
• a case in pointWhat islands did Cook visit and chart during his second expedition?
• the bigger pictureWhat were James Cook's overall contributions to maritime exploration?
• an unexpected connectionHow does RMS Aquitania connect to the history of grand British vessels?Although built generations after Cook's wooden sailing ships, RMS Aquitania shares a connection as a famous British-operated vessel with an exceptionally long and notable operational career.

Sources

• [1]James Cook (Wikidata Q7324) · CC0 1.0
• [2]James Cook · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]James Cook and indigenous peoples · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Second voyage of James Cook · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]RMS Aquitania · CC BY-SA 4.0