boat, was more roomy, would take and lie on the ground
better, and might be navigated by fewer men than other
velTels o f the fame burden.
Her complement of officers and men was Lieutenant'
Cook the Commander, with two Lieutenants under him,
a Mailer and boatfwain, with each two mates, a furgeon and
carpenter, with each one mate, a gunner, a cook, a clerk
and Reward, two quarter-maflers, an armourer, a fail-
maker, three midffiipmeri, forty-one able feamen, twelve
marines, and nine fervants, in all eighty-four perfons,
befides the Commander: fhe was victualled for eighteen
months, and took on board ten carriage and twelve fwivel
guns, with good fiore of ammunition and other neceflaries.
The Endeavour alfo, after the aflronomical obfervation fhould
be made, was ordered to profecute the defign of making discoveries
in the South Seas. What was effeded by thefe vef-
fels in their feveral voyages, will appear in the cou-rfe of this
work,, of which it is now jieceflary to give fome account.
It is drawn up from the journals that were kept by the
Commanders o f the feveral fhips,' which were put into my,
hands by the Lords Commiffioners o f the Admiralty for that,
purpofe: and, with refpeCt to thé voyage o f the Endeavour,
from other papers equally authentic ; an affiftance which I
have acknowledged in an introduction to the account of her-
voyage.
When I firft undertook the work, it was debated, whether
-it fhould be written in the firfl or third perfon : it was readily
acknowledged on all hands, that a narrative in the firft
perfon would, by bringing the Adventurer and the Reader-
nearer together, without the intervention o f a ftranger,
more ftrongly excite an intereft, and confequently afford,
more entertainment; but it was objected, that i f it was
written
written in the name o f the feveral Commanders, I could exhibit
only a naked narrative, without any opinion or fenti-
meiit o f my own, however fair the occafion, and without
noting the fimilitude or difiimilitude between the opinions,
cuftoms, or manners o f the people now firft difcovered, and
thofe o f nations that have been long known, or remarking
on any other incident or particular that might occur. In
anfwer to this objection, however, it was faid, that as the
manufcript would be fubmitted to the Gentlemen in whofe
names it would be written, fuppofing the narrative to be in
the firft perfon, and nothing publifhed without their approbation,
it would fignify little who conceived the fentiments
that fhould be exprefled, and therefore I might ftill be at
liberty to exprefs my own. In this opinion all parties ac-
quiefced, and it was determined that the narrative fhould
be written in the firft perfon, and that I might notwithftand-
ing interfperfe fuch fentiments and obfervations as my fub-
jeCt fhould fugg eft: they are not indeed numerous, and
when they occur, are always curfory and fhort; for nothing
would have been more abfurd than to interrupt an intereft-
ing narrative, or new defcriptions, by hypothefis and difler-
tation. They will however be found moft frequent in the
account o f the voyage o f the Endeavour, and the principal
reafon is, that although it ftands laft in the feries, great part
o f it was printed before the others were written, fo t-hat feveral
remarks, which would naturally have been fuggefted
by the incidents and defcriptions that would have- occurred
in the preceding voyages, were anticipated by fimilar incidents
and defcriptions which occurred in this: 1
Some particulars that are related in one voyage will perhaps
appear to be repeated in another, as they would necef-
farily have been if the feveral Commanders had written the
account o f their voyages themfélves ; for a digeft could not
V o l . I, b , have