purpofe. Accordingly, the Endeavour bark, which had
been built for the coal-trade, was purchafed and fitted out
for the fouthern voyage; and I was honoured with the
command o f her. The Royal Society, foon after, appointed
me, in conjunction with Mr. Charles Green the
aftronomer, to make the requifite obfervations on the
tranfit.
It was, at firft, intended, to perform this great, and now
a principal bufinefs of our voyage, either at the Marquefas,
or elfei at one of thofe illands which Tafman had called
Amfterdam, Rotterdam, and Middleburg, now better
known under the name of the Friendly Illands. But while
the Endeavour was getting ready for the expedition, Captain
Wallis returned from his voyage round the world, in
the courfe of which he had difcovered feveral illands in the
South Sea; and amongft others, Otaheite. This illand
was preferred to any of thofe before mentioned, on account
of the conveniences it afforded; and becaufe its place had
been well afcertained, and found to be extremely well
fuited to, our purpofe. I
I was therefore ordered to proceed direCtly to Otaheite;
and, after the aftronomical obfervations fhould be
completed, to profecute the defign o f making difcoveries in
the South’PacificOcean, by proceeding to the South as far
as'fhe latitude of 40 9 ; then, if I found no land, 'to'pro-
died "to''the Weft between 40° and 35°, till I fell in with
New
New Zealand, which I was to explore; and thence to return
to England, by fuch route as I Ihould think proper.
In the profecution of thefe inftruClions, I failed from
Deptford the ,30th of July 176 8 ; from Plymouth the
26th of Auguft; touched at Madeira, Rio de Janeiro, and
Straits Le Maire; and entered the South Pacific Ocean by
Cape Horn, in January the following year.
I endeavoured to make a diredl courfe to Otaheite, and,
in part, fucceeded; but I made no difcovery till I got
within the tropic, where 1 fell in with Lagoon Ifland ;—
Tw o Groups;—Bird Ifland;— Chain Ifland ;—and, on the
13th of April, arrived at Otaheite, where I remained three
months, during which time the obfervations on the tranfit
were made.
I then left i t ; difcovered, and vifited the Society Ifles,
and Oheteroa; thence proceeded to the South till I arrived
in the latitude o f 40° 32', longitude 14.7°'29 Weft; and,
on the 6th of October, fell in with the eaft fide o f New
Zealand.
I continued exploring the coaft o f this country till the
31ft of March 1770, when I quitted it, and proceeded to
New Holland; and having furveyed the eaftern coaft of
that vaft country, which part had not before been vifitedi
I paffed between its northern extremity and New Guinea;
landed
1768.
Cook’s firft
Voyage.