THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 49 



danger. His manners were plain and unaffected. His '"79- 



* m rebruary. 



temper might perhaps have been juftly blamed, as fubject 1 ^— -• 



to haftinefs and paffion, had not thefe been difarmed by a 

 difpofition the moll: benevolent and humane. 



Such were the outlines of Captain Cook's character; but 

 its mofldiftinguifhing feature was,that unremitting perfeve- 

 rance in the purfuit of his object:, which was not only fuperior 

 to the oppofition of dangers, and the preflure of hardships, but 

 even exempt from the want of ordinary relaxation. During 

 the long and tedious voyages in which he was engaged, his 

 eagernefs and activity were never in the leaft abated. No 

 incidental temptation could detain him for a moment ; even 

 thofe intervals of recreation, which fomctimes unavoidably 

 occurred, and were looked for by us with a longing, that 

 ptrfons, who have experienced the fatigues of fervice, will 

 readily excufe, were fubmitted to by him with a certain 

 impatience, whenever they could not be employed in making 

 further provifion for the more effectual profecution of his 

 defigns. 



It is not neceffary, here, to enumerate the inflances in 

 which thefe qualities were difplayed, during the great and 

 important enterprizes in which he was engaged. I fhall 

 content myfelf with dating the refult of thofe fervices, 

 under the two principal heads to which they may be refer- 

 red, thofe of geography and navigation, placing each in a 

 feparate and diftinct point of view. 



Perhaps no feience ever received greater additions from 

 the labours of a angle man, than geography has done from 

 thofe of Captain Cook. In his firfl voyage to the South 

 Seas, he difcovered the Society Iflands ; determined the in- 

 fularity of New Zealand ; difcovered the ftraits which fepa- 



Vol. III. H rate 



