LIFE 



OF 



CAPTAIN JAMES COOK. 



1 HIS celebrated navigator was the son of a day- 

 labourer, and born at Marton, a village in Yorkshire, 

 Nov. 3. 1728. At the age of thirteen he was put to 

 a school, where he learnt writing and arithmetic , 

 after which he was bound apprentice to a shop- 

 keeper at Snaith, but on discovering an inclination 

 for the sea, his master gave up his indentures, and 

 he articled himself for three years to a ship-owner at 

 Whitby. After serving out his time diligently, he 

 entered in 1755 on board the Eagle sixty gun ship; 

 and in 1759 he obtained a warrant as master of the 

 Mercury, in which ship he was present at the taking 

 of Quebec, where he made a complete draught 

 of the channel and river of St. Laurence, which 

 chart was puhlished. Mr. Cook was next appointed 

 to the Northumberland, then employed in the recap- 

 ture of Newfoundland ; and there also he made a 

 survey of the harbour and coasts. At the latter end. 

 of 176^ he returned to England, and married a young 



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