Author's blurb: - a psychological drama, anno 1769 After half a year at sea, HMS The Endeavor Bark has reached Cape Horn, South Africa's southernmost point. Endeavor pursues a scientific mission for the English government. The atmosphere on board is tense. The ship's commander is the legendary James Cook, the fleet's most gifted cartographer. Endeavor's crew consists of 94 hardy seamen, officers and navy soldiers, six civilian scientists, two dogs, one goat, and several hens. The scientists aboard will observe the planet Venus' transit between the Earth and the Sun, a rare astronomical event. But just under the apparently routine surface, distress and envy lurk, with the desire for power. It is as if the southern skies affect the people.