26 AUSTRALASIA ILLUSTRATED. 



retired before morning. At length he was discovered, and a number of canoes manned 

 l.y Indians were ambuscadoed in a wood by the waterside, and launched at night-time 

 for the purpose of surrounding him and cutting off his retreat. On this occasion he 

 had a close shave. He was obliged to run for it and make the island of Orleans, where 

 he landed near the guard of the English hospital. Kippis, who gives a graphic account 

 of the incident, says that "some of the Indians entered at the stern of the boat as 

 Mr. Cook leaped out at the bow; and the boat, which was a barge belonging to one 

 of the ships of war, was carried away in triumph." The work Cook was chosen to 

 perform was, however, practically finished, and when the English ships moved to the attack 

 the Admiral had abundant information as to the waters in which it was necessary to operate 

 a knowledge which greatly contributed to the subsequent success of the attack upon the 

 city. Kippis writes, " Sir Hugh Palliser has good reason to believe that before this time 

 Mr. Cook had scarcely ever used a pencil, and that he knew nothing of drawing. But 

 such was his capacity that he speedily made himself master of every object to which 

 he applied his attention." 



In the September following the capture of Quebec by the English forces, Cook was 

 transferred from the Mercury to the Northumberland, a first-rate man-o'-war, and the 

 Admiral's flag-ship. Walter Besant, in his life of Cook, says: "They wintered at Halifax; 

 during the winter Cook is said to have first begun the study of geometry, mathematics, 

 and astronomy. The amount of mathematics required for the practice of marine survey- 

 ing, taking observations, making charts, calculating latitudes and longitudes is not very 

 considerable ; but that a man should actually begin the study of mathematics after 

 thirty, and after performing surveys and making charts, can hardly be believed. That 

 Cook spent a laborious winter working at those branches of mathematical science which 

 are concerned with navigation, that he advanced himself considerably, and that he 

 brought a clear head and a strong will to the work, may be and must be believed." 



In the autumn of 1762 the Northumberland returned to England, and on the 2ist 

 of December of that year Cook was married at Barking, in Essex, to a Miss Elizabeth 

 Batts, by whom he had six children. Four months after his marriage he was sent by 

 the Admiralty to survey the islands of Miquelon and St. Pierre, which had been ceded 

 to the French by the Treaty of Peace, and which they were about to occupy. This work 

 finished, he again returned to England. Early in 1 764 Cook's services were once more 

 put in requisition in North America, for his friend Sir Hugh Palliser, now Governor and 

 Commodore of Newfoundland and Labrador, offered him an appointment as marine sur- 

 veyor of those shores, an appointment which Cook accepted. He was put in command 

 of the schooner (ircnrillc, and sailed in April for his station. The work, which he per- 

 formed with characteristic thoroughness and ability, lasted until the year 1767. Cook did 

 not, however, remain on his station the whole time, for he sailed to England every 

 autumn, and returned to Newfoundland with the spring. While engaged as a marine 

 surveyor he did not neglect his other scientific studies, as is amply attested by a paper 

 of his entitled "An Observation of an Eclipse of the Sun at the Island of Newfoundland, 5th 

 August, i 766," which constituted the basis of some important scientific work. Walter Besant 

 enthusiastically observes, " There were not many officers in the Royal Navy of that time who 

 were capable of taking such -an observation, or of making any deductions from it." 



