IN THE KING'S SERVICE 23 



write recommending young Cook. They had 

 learnt that Captain Palliser had recognised the 

 good conduct of their fellow-citizen, and they 

 were anxious that the Member for Scarborough 

 should, with the Captain's sanction, work for 

 the advancement of Cook." To this letter, ob- 

 viously inspired by Mr. Shottowe of Great 

 Ayton and Mr. Walker of Whitby, who wished 

 to assist by every means in his power the sailor 

 who had served him so well and faithfully for 

 nearly thirteen years, Captain Palliser replied 

 in terms doing full justice to the genuine merits 

 of Cook. He added, however, "that he had as 

 yet been too short a time in the Service to secure 

 an officer's post at present, and that it would be 

 better for him to secure him a master's warrant, 

 because, in that capacity, he would be better able 

 to display his capabilities and to prove that he 

 deserved the full confidence of his superiors." 



In 1757 James Cook was drafted to a brand 

 new ship of the line, the Pembroke, which in the 

 following year took part in the capture of Louis- 

 berg, an advanced port of the French on the 

 Atlantic. Louisberg, although already half 

 dismantled, resisted for two months the bom- 

 bardment of forty-two English ships commanded 

 by Admiral Boscawen, and surrendered on July 

 25th, 1758. 



But the war continued without respite. A 



