it was found, that he could not join her, as the ship had already sailed. On the next day, the 15th of May, he was appointed to the Mercury. These quick and successive appointments shew that his interest was strong, and that the intention to serve him was real and effectual.

The destination of the Mercury was to North America, where she joined the fleet under the command of sir Charles Saunders, which in conjunction with the land forces under general Wolfe, was engaged in the famous siege of Quebec. During that siege, a difficult and dangerous service was necessary to be performed. This was to take the soundings in the channel of the river St. Lawrence, between the island of Orleans and the north shore, directly in the front of the French fortified camp at Montmorency and Beauport, in order to enable the admiral to place ships against the enemy's batteries, and to cover our army on a general attack, which the heroic Wolfe intended to make on the camp. Captain Palliser, in consequence of his acquaintance with Mr. Cook's sagacity and resolution, recommended him to the service; and he performed it in the most complete manner. In this business he was employed during the night-time for several nights together. At length he was discovered by the enemy, who collected a great number of Indians, in a wood near the water-side, which were launched in the night, for the purpose of surrounding him, and cutting him off. On this occasion he had a very narrow escape, He was obliged to run for it, and pushed on shore on the island of Orleans, near the guard of the English hospital: Some of the Indians entered at the stern of the boat, as Mr. Cook leaped out at the bow and the boat, which was a barge belonging to one of the ships of war, was carried away in triumph. However, he furnished the admiral with as correct and complete a draught of the channel and soundings, as could have been made after our countrymen were in possession of Quebec. Sir Hugh Palliser had good reason to believe, that before this time Mr. Cook had scarcely ever used a pencil, and that he knew nothing of drawing; But such was his capacity, that he speedily made himself mas ster of every object to which he applied his attention.

Another important service was performed by Mr. Cook while the fleet continued in the river of St. Lawrence. The navigation VOL. IV.

of that river is extremely difficult and hazardous. It was particulary so the English, who were then in a great measure strangers to this part of North America, and who had no chart on the correctness of which they could depend. It was therefore ordered by the admiral, that Mr. Cook should survey those parts of the river, below Quebec, which navigators had experienced to be attended with peculiar difficulty and danger: and he executed the business with the same diligence and skill, of which he had already afforded so happy a specimen. When he had finished the undertaking, his chart of the river St. Lawrence was published, with soundings and directions for sailing in that river. Of the accuracy and utili ty of this chart it is sufficient to say, that it has never since been found necessary to publish any other. One which has appeared in France, is only a copy of our author's, on a reduced scale.

After the expedition at Quebec, Mr. Cook, by warrant from lord Colvill, was appointed, on the 22d of September, master of the Northumberland man of war, the ship in which his lordship staid, in the following winter, as commodore, with the command of a squadron at Halifax. In this station, Mr. Cook's behaviour did not fail to gain him the esteem and friendship of his commander. During the leisure which the season of winter afforded him, he employed his time in the acquisition of such knowledge as eminently qualified him for future service. It was at Halifax that he first read Euclid, and applied himself to the study of astronomy, and other branches of science. The books of which he had the assistance were few in number; but his industry enabled him to supply many defects, and to make a progress far superior to what could be expected from the advantages he enjoyed.

While Mr. Cook was master of the Northumberland, under lord Colvill, that ship came to Newfoundland, in September, 1762, to assist in the recapture of the island from the French, by the forces under the command of lieutenant-colonel Amherst. When the island was recovered, the English fleet staid 'some time at Placentia, in order to put it in a more complete state of defence. During this time, Mr. Cook manifested a diligence in surveying the harbour and heights of the place, which arrested the notice of captain (afterwards admiral) Graves, commander of the Antelope,

and governor of Newfoundland. The governor was hence induced to ask Cook a variety of questions; from the answers to which he was led to entertain a very favorable opinion of his abili ties. This opinion was increased, the more he saw of Mr. Cook's. conduct; who wherever they went, continued to display the most. unremitting attention of every object that related to the knowledge of the coast, and which was calculated to facilitate the practice of navigation. The esteem which captain Graves had conceived for, him, was confirmed by the testimonies to his character, that were given by all the officers under whom he served.

In the latter end of 1762, Mr. Cook returned to England; and on the 21st of December, in the same year, married, at Barking, in Essex, Miss Elizabeth Batts, an amiable and deserving woman, who was justly entitled to, and enjoyed, his tenderest regard and affection. But his station in life, and the high duties to which he was called, did not permit him to partake of matrimonial felicity, without many, and very long, interrup

tions.

Early in the year of 1763, after the peace with France and Spain was concluded, it was determined, that captain Gravest should go out again as governor of Newfoundland. As the country was very valuable in a commercial view, and had been an object of great contention between the English and French, the captain obtained an establishment for the survey of its coasts; which however he procured with some difficulty, because the matter was sufficiently understood by government at home. In considering the execution of the plan, Mr. Cook appeared to captain Graves to be a proper person for the purpose; and proposals were made to him, to which, notwithstanding his recent marriage, he readily and pru dently acceded. Accordingly, he went out with the captain as surveyor, and was first employed to survey Miquelon and St. Pierre, which had been ceded by the treaty to the French, who, by order of administration, were to take possession of them at a certain period, even though the English commander should not happen to be arrived in the country. When captain Graves had reached that part of the world, he found there the governor, who had been sent from France (Mons. D'Anjac), with all the settlers, and his own family, on board frigate and some transports.

It

was contrived, however, to keep them in that disagreeable situa tion for a whole month, which was the time taken by Mr. Cook to complete his survey. When the business was finished, the French were put into possession of the two islands, and left in the quiet enjoyment of them, with every profession of civility.

At the end of the season, Mr. Cook, returned to England; but did not long continue at home. In the beginning of the year 1764, his old and constant friend and patron, sir Hugh Palliser, was appointed governor and commodore of Newfoundland, and Labradore; upon which occassion, he was glad to take Mr. Cook with him, in the same capacity that he sustained under captain Graves. Indeed, no man could have been found who was better qualified for finishing the design which had been begun in the preceding year. The charts of the coasts, in that part of North America, were very erroneous; and it was highly necessary to the trade and navigation of his majesty's subjects, that new ones should be formed, which would be more correct and useful. Accordingly, under the orders of commodore Palliser, Mr. Cook was appointed, on the 18th of April 1764, marine surveyor of Newfoundland and Labradore; and he had a vessel, the Grenville schooner, to attend him for that purpose, How well he executed his commission, is known to every man acquainted with navigation. The charts which he afterwards published of the different surveys he had made, reflected great credit on his abilities and character, and the utility of them is universally acknowledged. It is understood, that so far as Newfoundland is concerned, they were of considerable service to the king's ministers, in settling the terms of the last peace. Mr. Cook explored the inland parts of this island in a much completer manner than had ever been done before. By penetrating farther into the middle of the country than any man had hitherto attempted, he discovered several large lakes, which are indicated upon the general chart. In these services Mr. Cook appears to have been employed, with the intervals of occasionly returning to England for the winter season, till the year 1767, which was the last time that he went out upon his station of marine surveyor of Newfoundland. It must not be omitted, that while he occupied this post, he had an opportunity of exhibit

ing to the Royal Society a proof of his progress in the study of astronomy. A short paper was written by him, and inserted in the fifty-seventh volume of the "Philosophical Transactions," entitled, "An Observation of an Eclipse of the Sun, at the Island of Newfoundland, August 5, 1766, with the Longitude of the Place of Observation deduced from it." The observation was made at one of the Burgoe islands, near cape Ray, in latitude 479 36, 19, on the south-west extremity of Newfoundland. Mr. Cook's paper having been communicated by Dr. Bevis to Mr. Witchell, the latter gentleman compared it with an observation taken at Oxford, by the rev. Mr. Hornsby, on the same eclipse, and thence computed the difference of longitude respecting the places of observation, making due allowance for the effect of parallax, and the prolate spherodial figure of the earth. It appears from the "Transactions," that our navigator had already obtained the character of being an able mathematician.

The year 1769 was rendered remarkable by the transit of the planet Venus over the disk of the sun; a phænomenon of great im. portance to the science of astronomy, geography, and navigation; and which every where engaged the attention of the learned in those branches of knowledge. In the beginning of the year 1768, the Royal Society presented a memorial to the king, setting forth the advantages to be derived from accurate observations of this transit in different parts of the world; particularly from a set of such observations made in a southern latitude, between the 140th and 180th degrees of longitude, west from the royal observatory at Greenwich but that the society were in no condition to defray the expence necessary for equipping a proper vessel to convey the observers to their destined stations. In consequence of this me morial, the admiralty were directed by the king to provide a proper vessel for the purpose; accordingly, the Endeavour bark, of three hundred and seventy tons, which had been built for the coal trade, was purchased and fitted out, and the command given to Mr. James Cook, who was on this occasion promoted to the rank of a lieutenant in the royal navy, his commission bearing date on 25th of May, 1768.

7

Captain Cook sailed from Deptford the 30th of July following, with instructions to proceed directly to Otaheite, and after the as