466 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



with fatigue, produces a torpor and sleepiness which are almost 

 irresistible: he therefore conjured the company to keep moving, 

 whatever pain it might cost them. "Whoever sits down," said 

 he, "will sleep ; and whoever sleeps will wake no more." He 

 was the first to find the inclination, against which he had 

 warned others, unconquerable, and he insisted upon being suffered 

 to lie down upon the snow. He declared that he must obtain 

 some sleep, though he had but just spoken of the perils with which 

 sleep was attended. He soon fell into a profound slumber, in 

 which he remained five minutes. He was then awakened, upon 

 the reception of the news that a fire had been kindled. He was 

 roused with great difficulty, and found that he had almost lost 

 the use of his limbs, his muscles being so shrunk that his shoes 

 fell from his feet. Richmond, a black servant, slept and never 

 woke : two others, overcome with languor, made their bed and 

 shroud in the snow. Such are the terrible effects of cold in the 

 Land of Fire. 



On the 22d of January, Cook weighed anchor and commenced 

 the passage through the Straits of Lemaire ; on the 26th, he 

 doubled Cape Horn and entered the Pacific Ocean. He sailed 

 for many weeks to the westward, making many of the islands 

 which had been discovered the year before by the French navi- 

 gator Bougainville, and himself discovering others. On the 

 11th of April, he arrived at King George's Island, his destina- 

 tion, and the next morning came to anchor in Port Royal Bay, in 

 thirteen fathoms' water. The natives brought branches of a tree, 

 which seemed to be their emblem of peace, and indicated by their 

 gestures that they should be placed in some conspicuous part of 

 the ship's rigging. They then brought fish, cocoanuts, and bread- 

 fruit, which they exchanged for beads and glass. The ship's 

 company went on shore, and mingled in various ceremonies insti- 

 tuted for the purpose of promoting fellowship and good-will. 

 During one of these, Dr. Solander and Mr. Markhouse — the latter 

 a midshipman — suddenly complained that their pockets had been 



