44 cook's voyage to feb. 



boat-men had tired without his orders, and that he 

 was desirous of preventing any further bloodshed, 

 it is not improbable that his humanity, on this oc- 

 casion, proved fatal to him. For it was remarked, 

 that whilst he faced the natives, none of them had 

 offered him any violence, but that having turned 

 about, to give his orders to the boats, he was stabbed 

 in .the back, and fell with his face into the water- 

 On seeing him fall, the islanders set up a great 

 shout, and his body was immediately dragged on 

 shore, and surrounded by the enemy, who snatching 

 the daggers out of each other's hands, shewed a 

 savage eagerness to have a share in his destruction. 



Thus fell our great and excellent Commander ! 

 After a life of so much distinguished and successful 

 enterprise, his death, as far as regards himself, can- 

 not be reckoned premature ; since he lived to finish 

 the great work for which he seems to have been de- 

 signed ; and was rather removed from the enjoyment, 

 than cut off from the acquisition of glory. How 

 sincerely his loss was felt and lamented by those 

 who had so long found their general security in his 

 skill and conduct, and every consolation, under their 

 hardships, in his tenderness and humanity, it is 

 neither necessary nor possible for me to describe ; 

 much less shall I attempt to paint the horror with 

 which we were struck, and the universal dejection 

 and dismay which followed so dreadful and un- 

 expected a calamity. The reader will not be 

 displeased to turn from so sad a scene, to the con- 

 templation of his character and virtues, whilst I am 

 paying my last tribute to the memory of a dear and 

 honoured friend, in a short history of his life, and 

 public services. 



Captain James Cook was born near Whitby, in 

 Yorkshire, in the year I727 ; and, at an early age; 

 was put apprentice to a shopkeeper in a neighbour- 

 ing village. His natural inclination not having been 

 consulted on this occasion, he soon quitted the 



