46 cook's voyage to feb. 



the transit of Venus, and prosecuting discoveries in 

 that part of the globe. 



From this period, as his services are too well known 

 to require a recital here, so his reputation has pro- 

 portionally advanced to a height too great to be 

 affected by my panegyric. Indeed, he appears to 

 have been most eminently and peculiarly qualified 

 for this species of enter prize. The earliest habits 

 of his life, the course of his services, and the con- 

 stant application of his mind, all conspired to fit him 

 for it, and gave him a degree of professional know- 

 ledge, which can fall to the lot of very few. 



The constitution of his body was robust, inured 

 to labour, and capable of undergoing the severest 

 hardships. His stomach bore, without difficulty, the 

 coarsest and most ungrateful food. Indeed, tem- 

 perance in him was scarcely a virtue ; so great was 

 the indifference with which he submitted to every 

 kind of self-denial. The qualities of his mind were 

 of the same hardy, vigorous kind with those of his 

 body. His understanding was strong and perspi- 

 cacious. His judgment, in whatever related to the 

 services he was engaged in, quick and sure. His 

 designs were bold and manly ; and both in the con- 

 ception, and in the mode of execution, bore evident 

 marks of a great original genius. His courage was cool 

 and determined, and accompanied with an admirable 

 presence of mind in the moment of danger. His 

 manners were plain and unaffected. His temper 

 might perhaps have been justly blamed as subject 

 to hastiness and passion had not these been disarmed 

 by a disposition the most benevolent and humane. 



Such were the outlines of Captain Cook's cha- 

 racter ; but its most distinguishing feature was that 

 unremitting perseverance in the pursuit of his object, 

 which was not only superior to the opposition of 

 dangers, and the pressure of hardships, but even ex- 

 empt from the want of ordinary relaxation. During 

 the long and tedious voyages in which he was en- 



