462 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



Paita. Thirty years, however, have elapsed since the voyage of 

 Anson, — the last of the royal buccaneers. The vessel whose 

 career we are now to chronicle sought neither capture, nor spoil, 

 nor prize-money. It was a peaceful ship, with a peaceful name, 

 — the Endeavor : her commander bore a name to be rendered 

 illustrious by peaceful deeds, and he was bound upon a peaceful 

 errand. James Cook, an officer of forty years of age, who had 

 rendered efficient service in America, at the capture of Quebec, 

 and who had shown himself a capable astronomer, was instructed 

 to proceed to the island named Sagittaria by Quiros, and King 



F1.YJ..NO fish. 



George the Third's Island by Wallis, there to observe and record 

 the transit of the planet Venus over the disk of the sun. The 

 position of the island as reported by Wallis was deemed to be 

 exceedingly favorable for such an observation. Cook was -pro- 



