article, we were never at an allowance, but had/always plenty
for every neceflary purpofe. Navigators in general cannot,
indeed, expecT, nor would they wilh to meet with fuch advantages
in this refpefl, as fell to my lot. . The nature of
our voyage carried us into very high latitudes. But the
hardfhips and dangers infeparable from that fituation, were
in fome degree compenfated by the Angular felicity we enjoyed,
of extracting inexhauftible fupplies of frelh water
from an ocean fireWed with ice.
We came to few places, where either the art of man, or
the bounty of nature, had not provided fome fort of refrefh-
ment or other, either in the animal or vegetable way. It
was my firft care to procure whatever of any kind could be
met with, by every means in my power; and to oblige our
people to make ufe thereof, both by my example and authority;
but the benefits arifing from refrefhments of any kind
foon became fo obvious, that I had little oceafion to recommend
the one, or to exert the other.
It doth not become me to fay how far the principal objects
of our voyage have been obtained. Though it hath not
abounded with remarkable events, nor been diverfified by
fudden tranfitions of fortune j though my relation of it has
been more employed in tracing our courfe by fea, than in
recording our operations on fhore; this, perhaps, is a cir-
eumftance from which the curious reader may infer, that
the purpofes for which we were fent into the fouthern he-
mifphere, were diligently and efFeftually puffued. Had we
found out a continent there, we might have been better
enabled to gratify curiofity; but we hope our not having-
found it, after all our perfevering refearches, will leave lefs.
room for future ^peculation about unknown worlds remaining
to be explored.
But,
But, whatever may be the public judgment about other ws-
matters, it is with real fatisfa&ion, and without claiming >.
any merit but that of attention to my duty, that I can conclude
this Account with an obfervation, which fafts enable
me to make, that our having difcovered the poffibility of
preferving health amongft a numerous fhip’s company, for
fuch a length of time, in fuch varieties of climate, and
amidft fuch continued hardfhips and fatigues, will make
this Voyage remarkable in the opinion of every benevolent
perfon, when the difputes about a Southern Continent fhall
have ceafed to engage the attention, and to divide the judgement
of philofophers.
T A B L E S ,