From Cook to Flinders: The navigation of torres strait
This article offers the first published appraisal of the attempts by navigators to find a safe passage through Torres Strait, a notoriously difficult sea channel for sailing vessels. Securing such a passage was important for the timing and viability of commercial and naval ships following this route...
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Online Access: | http://ijh.sagepub.com/content/27/1/41.full.pdf+html http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/12181 https://doi.org/10.1177/0843871414567075 |
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ftbruneluniv:oai:bura.brunel.ac.uk:2438/12181 2023-05-15T18:03:31+02:00 From Cook to Flinders: The navigation of torres strait Morgan, KJ 2015 http://ijh.sagepub.com/content/27/1/41.full.pdf+html http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/12181 https://doi.org/10.1177/0843871414567075 en eng Sage International Journal of Maritime History International Journal of Maritime History, 27, (1): (2015) 0843-8714 http://ijh.sagepub.com/content/27/1/41.full.pdf+html http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/12181 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0843871414567075 Australia James cook Matthew flinders Navigation Torres strait William bligh William wright bampton Article 2015 ftbruneluniv https://doi.org/10.1177/0843871414567075 2021-08-08T08:36:03Z This article offers the first published appraisal of the attempts by navigators to find a safe passage through Torres Strait, a notoriously difficult sea channel for sailing vessels. Securing such a passage was important for the timing and viability of commercial and naval ships following this route from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. Luis Vaez de Torres’ traversal of the strait that bears his name was kept secret for over a century and a half after his voyage in 1606. It was not until the late 1760s that a chart showing his track through Torres Strait was published. This article considers the routes followed by the small number of navigators who undertook the earliest known voyages through the strait: James Cook, William Bligh, William Wright Bampton and Matthew Flinders. The reasons why these navigators took different routes through Torres Strait are explained in relation to the cartographical knowledge they possessed. The navigational difficulties they encountered are explained. The article shows that knowledge of passages through the strait increased incrementally from one voyage to another. Cook sailed via Endeavour Strait, the most southerly passage through Torres Strait. Bligh followed a much more northerly passage to the north of Prince of Wales Island. Flinders took a course between that of Cook and Bligh to sail to the south of Prince of Wales Island. The article concludes that Flinders had the most thorough information with which to navigate Torres Strait, and that his passage became the preferred course for ships sailing between the north and Australia and the south of New Guinea by the mid-nineteenth century. Article in Journal/Newspaper Prince of Wales Island Brunel University London: Brunel University Research Archive (BURA) Endeavour ENVELOPE(162.000,162.000,-76.550,-76.550) Flinders ENVELOPE(-66.667,-66.667,-69.267,-69.267) Indian Pacific Prince of Wales Island ENVELOPE(-99.001,-99.001,72.668,72.668) International Journal of Maritime History 27 1 41 60 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Brunel University London: Brunel University Research Archive (BURA) |
op_collection_id |
ftbruneluniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Australia James cook Matthew flinders Navigation Torres strait William bligh William wright bampton |
spellingShingle |
Australia James cook Matthew flinders Navigation Torres strait William bligh William wright bampton Morgan, KJ From Cook to Flinders: The navigation of torres strait |
topic_facet |
Australia James cook Matthew flinders Navigation Torres strait William bligh William wright bampton |
description |
This article offers the first published appraisal of the attempts by navigators to find a safe passage through Torres Strait, a notoriously difficult sea channel for sailing vessels. Securing such a passage was important for the timing and viability of commercial and naval ships following this route from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. Luis Vaez de Torres’ traversal of the strait that bears his name was kept secret for over a century and a half after his voyage in 1606. It was not until the late 1760s that a chart showing his track through Torres Strait was published. This article considers the routes followed by the small number of navigators who undertook the earliest known voyages through the strait: James Cook, William Bligh, William Wright Bampton and Matthew Flinders. The reasons why these navigators took different routes through Torres Strait are explained in relation to the cartographical knowledge they possessed. The navigational difficulties they encountered are explained. The article shows that knowledge of passages through the strait increased incrementally from one voyage to another. Cook sailed via Endeavour Strait, the most southerly passage through Torres Strait. Bligh followed a much more northerly passage to the north of Prince of Wales Island. Flinders took a course between that of Cook and Bligh to sail to the south of Prince of Wales Island. The article concludes that Flinders had the most thorough information with which to navigate Torres Strait, and that his passage became the preferred course for ships sailing between the north and Australia and the south of New Guinea by the mid-nineteenth century. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Morgan, KJ |
author_facet |
Morgan, KJ |
author_sort |
Morgan, KJ |
title |
From Cook to Flinders: The navigation of torres strait |
title_short |
From Cook to Flinders: The navigation of torres strait |
title_full |
From Cook to Flinders: The navigation of torres strait |
title_fullStr |
From Cook to Flinders: The navigation of torres strait |
title_full_unstemmed |
From Cook to Flinders: The navigation of torres strait |
title_sort |
from cook to flinders: the navigation of torres strait |
publisher |
Sage |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
http://ijh.sagepub.com/content/27/1/41.full.pdf+html http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/12181 https://doi.org/10.1177/0843871414567075 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(162.000,162.000,-76.550,-76.550) ENVELOPE(-66.667,-66.667,-69.267,-69.267) ENVELOPE(-99.001,-99.001,72.668,72.668) |
geographic |
Endeavour Flinders Indian Pacific Prince of Wales Island |
geographic_facet |
Endeavour Flinders Indian Pacific Prince of Wales Island |
genre |
Prince of Wales Island |
genre_facet |
Prince of Wales Island |
op_relation |
International Journal of Maritime History International Journal of Maritime History, 27, (1): (2015) 0843-8714 http://ijh.sagepub.com/content/27/1/41.full.pdf+html http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/12181 http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0843871414567075 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1177/0843871414567075 |
container_title |
International Journal of Maritime History |
container_volume |
27 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
41 |
op_container_end_page |
60 |
_version_ |
1766174398525472768 |