IN THE KING'S SERVICE 25 



French observed him, and sent after him several 

 boats, chiefly manned by Indians. Cook made 

 off, and by dint of hard rowing succeeded in 

 reaching the shore of the lie d'Orleans, w^here 

 some English troops were stationed. At the very 

 moment that he leapt ashore, several Indians 

 leapt into the stern of his boat. He made his 

 escape, but the boat was carried off in triumph 

 by the Indians, elated with their victory. 



Some days later, James Cook, who in the little 

 school at Great Ayton, which he had left at the 

 age of twelve, had not even had the chance of 

 learning the elements of drawing, laid before the 

 Admiral a chart of that part of the river which 

 he had been ordered to survey, traced by his own 

 hand. This chart was so clearly drawn that the 

 Admiral gave instructions that Cook should be 

 employed in surveying the channels of the river 

 below Quebec, which contained so many dangers 

 to navigation. Cook brought to this second task 

 the same intelligence which he had exhibited on 

 the first, and when he had completed it the chart 

 of the St. Lawrence was published with all in- 

 structions necessary for vessels to navigate the 

 waters of the great river without danger. So 

 great was the accuracy of Cook's work that even 

 now his chart is in use among Canadian pilots, 

 and serves as the model for the hydrographical 

 surveys of the district. 



