Australian maritime archaeologists believe a wreck off the coast of Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, is that of Captain James Cook’s HMS Endeavour, which was deliberately sunk by the British during the American Revolution.
The ship also became an important part of South Pacific history after it sailed a pioneering voyage charting New Zealand and Australia before landing on Australia’s east coast in 1770.
For several years, maritime archaeologists from Australia and the United States have been investigating shipwreck sites within a 2-square-mile area near the Rhode Island coast.
“I am satisfied that this is the final resting place of one of the most important and contentious vessels in Australia’s maritime history,” Kevin Sumption, chief executive of the Australian National Maritime Museum, said Thursday.
However, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project released a statement soon after saying the announcement is “premature.”
“What we see on the shipwreck site under study is consistent with what might be expected of the Endeavour, but there has been no indisputable data found to prove the site is that iconic vessel, and there are many unanswered questions that could overturn such an identification,” RIMAP Executive Director D.K. Abbass said. “When the study is done, RIMAP will post the legitimate report.”
RIMAP accused Sumption and the ANMM of a breach of contract over how the findings of the research are to be shared.
Abbass added that RIMAP “is now and always has been the lead organization for the study in Newport harbor.”
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ANMM’s manager of maritime archaeology, Kieran Hosty, said he disagreed that the announcement was premature and that the contract with RIMAP expired in November.
“As far as I’m aware, the contract with [RIMAP] expired in November of last year,” Hosty said. “Going on to the actual jumping the gun that we actually haven’t got enough information, I disagree with that.”
Hosty described details of the ship that he believes match what is known of the Endeavour, including the size of the timbers, scuttling holes in the keel, and other measurements.
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“When the study is done, RIMAP will post the legitimate report on its website,” Abbass stated. “Meanwhile, RIMAP recognizes the connection between Australian citizens of British descent and the Endeavour, but RIMAP’s conclusions will be driven by proper scientific process and not Australian emotions or politics.”
