156 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



it would have been a dangerous and rash enterprise, and 

 what, I believe, no man in my situation would have thought 

 of. I, who had ambition not only to go farther than any 

 one had been before, but as far as it was possible for man 

 to go, was not sorry at meeting with this interruption ; as 

 it, in some measure, relieved us ; at least, shortened the 

 dangers and hardships inseparable from the navigation of 

 the southern polar regions. Since, therefore, we could not 

 proceed one inch farther to the south, no other reason need 

 be assigned for my tacking and standing to the north." 



He now resolved to proceed north, and to spend the 

 ensuing winter within the tropic, if he met with no employ- 

 ment before he came there, as he was perfectly satisfied 

 that no continent was to be found in this ocean, but what 

 must lie so far to the south as to be totally inaccessible on 

 account of ice ; and that if one should be found in the 

 southern Atlantic Ocean, it would be necessary to have 

 the whole summer before them to explore it.* 



They now steered north, inclining to the east, and in 

 the evening they were overtaken by a furious storm, 

 attended with snow and sleet. It came so suddenly upon 

 them, that before they could take in their sails, two of them 

 were blown to pieces, and the others much damaged. 



On the 25th, Captain Cook was taken ill of the bilious 

 cholic, which was so violent as to confine him to his bed; 

 so that the management of the ship was left to Mr. Cooper, 

 the first officer, who conducted her much to his satisfaction. 

 It was several days before the most dangerous symptoms 

 of his disorder were removed ; during which time Mr. 

 Patten, the surgeon, was to him not only a skilful physician, 

 but an affectionate nurse. When he began to recover, a 

 favourite dog, belonging to Mr. Forster, fell a sacrifice to 

 his tender stomach. They had no other fresh meat what- 

 ever on board ; and the Captain could eat of this flesh, as 

 well as broth made of it, when he could taste nothing else. 

 Thus he received nourishment and strength from food which 

 would have made most people in Europe sick ; so true it is, 

 that necessity is governed by no law. 



At eight o'clock in the morning on the llth of March, 

 land was seen from the mast-head, bearing west, about 

 twelve leagues distant. They now tacked and endeavoured 

 to get into what appeared to be a bay, on the west side 

 of the point ; but before this could be accomplished, night 



* Nothing could show a sounder judgment than this decision 

 on the part of Captain Cook, who, having now penetrated to 71 

 10' S., long. 106 54' W., wisely left it to a future navigator to 

 discover a continent in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, nearly a 

 century afterwards, Admiral Sir James Clark Ross. 



