INTRODUCTION. 
South Eaftof that illand. By this unavoidable attention to 
his duty, a very confiderable part of the South Pacific, and 
that part where the richeft mine of difcovery was fuppofed 
to exift, remained unvifited and unexplored, during that 
voyage in the Endeavour. To remedy this, and to clear 
up a point, which, though many of the learned were con¬ 
fident of, upon principles of fpeculative reafoning, and 
many of the unlearned admitted, upon what they thought 
to be credible teftimony, was ftill held to be very pro¬ 
blematical, if not abfolutely groundlefs, by others who 
were lefs fanguine or more incredulous; his Majefty, al¬ 
ways ready to forward every inquiry that can add to the 
Rock of interefting knowledge in every branch, ordered 
another expedition to be undertaken. The fignal fervices 
performed by Captain Cook, during his firfl: voyage, of 
which we have given the outlines, marked him as the fit¬ 
ted: perfon to finilh an examination which he had already 
fo fkilfully executed in part. Accordingly, he was fent out 
in 1772, with two fhips, the Refolution and Adventure, 
upon the rnofi: enlarged plan of difcovery known in the 
annals of navigation. For he was inftructed not only to 
circumnavigate the globe, but to circumnavigate it in high 
Southern latitudes, making fuch traverfes, from time to 
time, into every corner of the Pacific Ocean not before ex¬ 
amined, as might finally and effectually refolve the much 
■agitated queftion about the exiftence of a Southern conti¬ 
nent, in any part of the Southern hemifphere acceflible 
by navigation. 
The ample acceflions to geography, by the difcovery of 
many iflands within the Tropic in the Pacific Ocean, in the 
courfe of this voyage, which was carried on, with fingular 
perfeverance, between three and four years, have been al- 
c 2 ready 
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