258 CAPTAIN COOK 



ity honoured should be touched by the brutal 

 hands of war. As always, she made a chivalrous 

 gesture. 



On March 9th, 1779, ignorant, as was the 

 whole of Europe, of Cook's death, which only 

 became known in January 1780, M. de Sartine, 

 Minister of Marine, sent to all the commanders 

 of the ships of His Most Christian Majesty King 

 Louis XVI the following letter: 



"Captain Cook, who left Plymouth in July 

 1776, on board the frigate Resolution, with the 

 Discovery, Captain Clerke, in company, in order 

 to undertake discoveries on the coasts, islands 

 and seas of Japan and California, should be on 

 the point of returning to Europe. As such enter- 

 prises are of general utility to all nations, the 

 will of the King is that Captain Cook should be 

 treated as a commander of a neutral and allied 

 power, and that all captains of armed ships who 

 should meet this celebrated navigator should in- 

 form him of the orders of His Majesty concern- 

 ing him, and, at the same time, inform him that 

 he should himself refrain from any hostile 

 action." 



Benjamin Franklin, who was at Paris as Min- 

 ister Plenipotentiary of the United States of 

 America, had forestalled this generous gesture 



