666 . A. D. 1780. 



ages. And fuch was the honourable teftimony of applaufe beflowed by 

 foreigners upon the Britiflt voyages of fcience ; voyages, wherein (hips 

 of war were employed, not for the deftrudion, but for the general ferv- 

 ice, of mankind ; and which conferred a dignity on all concerned in 

 them, not excepting even thofe who embarked in the lower ftations, 

 feveral of whom were fo flir ennobled by having failed under Cook, that 

 they afterwards became principals in fcientific refearches in every 

 quarter of the globe. 



No man ever extended the fcience of geography, that fcience fo 

 fundamentally and efTentially ufcful to exteniive navigation, more than 

 Cook, or was a greater ornament to it. To him we are indebted for 

 the difcovery, or the improved knowlege, and accurate pofition, of 

 mofl of the iflands, which have lately been added to the geography of 

 the world, whereby our modern navigators are emboldened to double 

 the formerly-tremendous Cape Horn, and traverfe the vafl Pacific ocean, 

 with lefs danger than their predeceflbrs of the fifteenth century incurred 

 in llretching acrofs the Bay of Bifcay ; and alfo for the chief informa- 

 tion refpeding the manners and language of that widely-difperfed race 

 of people, who occupy the innumerable iflands fcattered between the 

 eafl coafl of Africa and the weft coaft of America ; an extent of more 

 than half the circumference of the globe. To him we are indebted for 

 the complete and final decifion of the grand queftion, which for ages 

 had agitated the minds of fpeculative philofophers and clofct voyagers, 

 upon the necejfary exiftence of a great fouthern continent : and in his 

 laft voyage the repeated difappointment in attempting to navigate the 

 oppofite polar feas, together with the then-afcertained vicinity of 

 America and Afia, very nearly amounted to a demonftration, that the 

 long-looked-for northern paflage is equally vifionary. ' The method, 

 ' which he difcovered, and fo fuccefsfully purfued, of preferving the 

 ' health of feamen, forms a new aera in navigation, and will tranfmit 

 ' his name to future ages amongft the friends and benefadors of man- 

 ■' kind. It was referved for Captain Cook to fliew the world, that 

 ' voyages might be protraded to the unulual length of three, or even 



* four, years in unknown regions, and under every change and rigour 



* of cUmate, not only without afteding the health, but even without 



* diminifhing the probability of life in the fmalleft degree*.' If he 

 had never conferred any other benefit on mankind, for this alone 



His namejlmll live as long as the ocean Jljall be navigated. 



* Thefe are the words of Captain King, who to his other great and uftfiil talents, making a very 



wrote the remainder of the voyage, contained in refpeftable figure as an author. And here it is 



the third vohune, after the death of his rcfpeclcd proper to obferve, that the account of the laft 



commander. The account of the preceding part voyage in three volumes quarto, with a fplendid 



of the voyage, contained in the two firll volumes, accompaniment of illuftrative and ornamental 



is written by Captain Cook himfelf ; as is alfo the plates, was publilhed at the national expenfe, as a 



account of his ftcond voyage, publilhed in two pubUc tribute of refpcft to the memory of the 



volumes quarto. Thus we find Cook, in addition worthy commander. 



