- Tobias Furneaux
Captain Tobias Furneaux (
August 21 ,1735 –September 19 ,1781 ) was an Englishnavigator andRoyal Navy officer, who accompaniedJames Cook on his second voyage of exploration. He was the first man tocircumnavigate the world in both directions.Furneaux was born at
Swilly nearPlymouth . He entered theRoyal Navy , and was employed on the French andAfrica n coasts and in theWest Indies during the latter part of theSeven Years' War (1760–1763). He served as second lieutenant of HMS "Dolphin" under CaptainSamuel Wallis on the latter's voyage round the globe (August 1766 – May 1768). Furneaux was made a commander in November 1771, and commanded HMS "Adventure" which accompaniedJames Cook (in "Resolution") on his second voyage.On this expedition Furneaux was twice separated from his leader (
February 8 ,1773 toMay 19 ,1773 ; andOctober 22 ,1773 toOctober 14 ,1774 , the date of his return to England). On the former occasion he explored a great part of the south and east coasts ofTasmania , and made the earliest British chart of the same. Most of his names here survive; Cook, visiting this shore-line on his third voyage, confirmed Furneaux's account and delineation of it (with certain minor criticisms and emendations), and named after him theFurneaux Group of islands inBanks Strait , opening intoBass Strait , and the group now known as theLow Archipelago . Australian Dictionary of Biography
last= Sprod
first= Dan
authorlink=
year=2005
id=AS10174b
title= Furneaux, Tobias (1735 - 1781)
accessdate=2008-05-05 ]After "Adventure" was finally separated from "Resolution" off
New Zealand in October 1773, Furneaux returned home alone, bringing with himOmai of Ulaietea(Raiatea). This first South Sea Islander to travel to the United Kingdom returned to Tahiti with Cook in 1776–1777.Furneaux was made a captain in 1775. During the
American Revolutionary War , he commanded "Siren" in the British attack of28 June 1776 uponCharleston, South Carolina .Notes
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