VI LIFE OF CAPTAIN COOK. 



woman of Barking ; but early in the next year he 

 went again to Newfoundland, as surveyor, with Cap- 

 tain Graves, and he afterwards acted in the same 

 capacity under Sir Hugh Palhser. While thus em- 

 ployed, he made an observation of an eclipse of the 

 sun, which he communicated to the Royal Society. 

 It beins: determined to send out astronomers to ob- 

 serve the transit of Venus in some part of the South 

 Sea, Mr. Cook was selected to command the En- 

 deavour, a ship taken up for that service ; and ac- 

 cordingly he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. 

 May 25. I768. Our limits will not allow of giving 

 the details of this interesting voyage ; and therefore 

 we shall content ourselves with stating, that the 

 transit was observed to great advantage at Otaheite ; 

 after which lieutenant Cook explored the neighbour- 

 ing islands, and then Bhapod hie course for New Zea- 

 land, which he circumnavigated, and thus ascertained 

 that it was not a continent. From thence he sailed 

 to New Holland, or, as it is now called. New South 

 Wales, where he anchored in Botany Bay, April 28. 

 1770, an epoch of great importance in the history of 

 that part of the world. From hence he sailed to New- 

 Guinea, and next to Batavia, where the ship being 

 refitted, he returned to Europe, and arrived in the 

 Downs, June 12. 1771* For his services on this oc- 

 casion, Mr. Cook was promoted to the rank of com- 

 mander, and an account of his voyage was soon after 

 published by Dr. Hawkesworth. The interest ex;- 



