When Captain Cook made his historic round the world voyage to the South Seas, he had a number of distinguished passengers on board including astronomers, a natural history expert, a botanist, 3 artists – and a goat.
It is not clear what role the goat played but this was not its first voyage. It had sailed on a previous ship, the Dolphin, under a Captain Wallis.
The King made Cook a commander and sent him off to sea again, but the Lords of the Admiralty decided that the goat should end his travelling and so granted him the privileges of an in-pensioner at Greenwich Hospital.
Sadly, the goat died today, 28th April that year – 1772 – before the necessary warrant could be signed.
It is not clear what role the goat played but this was not its first voyage. It had sailed on a previous ship, the Dolphin, under a Captain Wallis.
The King made Cook a commander and sent him off to sea again, but the Lords of the Admiralty decided that the goat should end his travelling and so granted him the privileges of an in-pensioner at Greenwich Hospital.
Sadly, the goat died today, 28th April that year – 1772 – before the necessary warrant could be signed.
