VOYAGE OF THE ENDEAVOUR 391 



benevolent, and humane." In short, Cook's temper was 

 Scotch " good but short." 



The Council saw, heard, and guessed enough to cause Cook takes 

 them to agree with the Admiralty's proposal. They offered command - 

 Cook a gratuity of one hundred guineas for taking the 

 observation. He and his fellow-observer, Mr. Green, 

 were to have 120 a year between them for victuals. He 

 was to be raised to the rank of First-Lieutenant, and he 

 was to have a wage of five shillings a day. Cook accepted 

 the offer, and accepted it with pride. 1 



Meanwhile the Navy Board, acting probably with Cook's 

 advice, had bought " a cat-built bark in burden 368 tons, 

 and of the age of three years and nine months." A " cat- 

 built bark " the word comes from Norwegian ' kati,' a 

 ship is a bark that has "round bluff bows, a wide deep 

 waist, and tapering towards the stern." 2 It was the type 

 of ship which Cook, writing after the voyage was ended, The 

 described as by far the most useful for a voyage of discovery. 

 The danger was that the ship would run aground on an 

 unknown savage coast. She must therefore be able to 

 sail in shallow waters ; she must bear to take the ground, 

 and to be safely laid on shore for repairs ; and yet, on the . 

 other hand, she must be big enough to carry great quantities 

 of provisions. These qualities, says Cook, are only to 

 be found in " North Country built ships, or such as are 

 built for the Coal-trade." A ship ~of this sort had been 

 chosen. She had been built in Whitby, and was like 

 the ships which Cook had sailed for many years in the coal 

 trade. Her name was "the Earl of Pembroke," but she was 

 now re-named "the Endeavour Bark." Her price was 

 2,800, and 2,294 was spent on sheathing and fitting 

 her for the voyage. 



With Cook sailed a young gentleman, whose voyage was Mr. Joseph 

 destined to be of great consequence. Mr. Joseph Banks 

 of Revesby was representative of a wealthy Lincolnshire 

 family. Father and grandfather had been men of special 



1 " His pride must have been great when he found he was to receive 

 a commission as Lieutenant " (Wharton, p. xxv). 



2 Kitson, p. 88. 



