can never be remembered, without bluihing for religion
and human nature. But when the receffes o f the globe
are inveftigated, not to enlarge private dominion, but to promote
general knowledge j when we vifit new tribes of our
fellow-creatures as friends ; and wifh only to learn that they
exift, in order to bring them within the pale of the ftffices
o f humanity, and to relieve the wants of their imperfeCt
ftate o f fociety, by communicating to them our fuperior
attainments ¡.voyages of difcovery planned with fuch benevolent
views by George the Third, and executed by Cook,
have not, we truft, totally failed in this refpeCt. Our repeated
vifits, and long continued intercourfe with the natives of the
Friendly, Society, and Sandwich Iflands, cannot but have
darted fome rays of light on the infant minds o f thofe poor
people. The uncommon objeCts they have thus had opportunities
of obferving and admiring, will naturally tend to
enlarge their flock of ideas, and to furniih new materials
for the exercife of their reafon. Comparing themfelves
with their vifiters, they cannot but be itruck with the deepeft
conviction of their own inferiority, and be impelled, by
the ftrongeft motives, to ftrive to emerge from it, and
to rife nearer to a level with thofe children of the Sun who
deigned to look upon them, and left behind fo many fjpeci-
mens of their generous and humane attention. The very
introduction of our ufeful animals and vegetables, by adding
frefh means of fubfiftence, will have added to their comforts
of life, and immediate enjoyments j and if this be the
only benefit they are ever to receive, who will pronounce
that much has not been gained ? But may we not carry our
wilhes and our hopes ftill farther ? Great Britain itfelf,.
when firft vifited by the Phoenicians, was inhabited by
painted Savages, not, perhaps, bleffed with higher attainments
jnents than are poffeffed by the prefent natives of New Zealand
; certainly lefs civilized than thofe of Tongataboo or
Otaheite. Our having opened an intercourfe with therp, is
the firft ftep toward their improvement. Who knows, but
that our ISte voyages may be the means appointed by Providence,
of fpreading, in due time, the bleflings o f civilization,
amongft the numerous tribes o f the South Pacific
Ocean ; of aboliihing their horrid repafts and their horrid
rites; and of laying the foundation for future and more
effectual plans, to prepare them for holding an honourable
ftation amongft the nations of the earth ? This, at leaft, is Certain,
that our having, as it were, brought them into exiftence
by our extenfive refearches, will fuggeft to us freih motives
o f devout'gratitude to the Supreme Being, for having bleffed
us with advantages hitherto withheld from fo great a proportion
of the human race; and will operate powerfully to
incite us ,to perfevere in every feafible-attempt, to be his
inftruments in refcuing millions of fellow-creatures from:
their prefent ftate of humiliation.
The feveral topics, which occurred, as fuitable to this general
Introduction, being now difcuffed, nothing remains
but to ftate a few particulars, about which the reader ‘ of
thefe volumes has a right to expeCt fome information.
Captain Cook, knowing, before he failed upon this laft
expedition, that it was expeCted from him to relate, as well
as to execute, its operations, had taken care to prepare fuch
a journal as might be made ufe of for publication. This>
journal, which exifts in his own hand-writing, has-been
faithfully adhered to. -It is not a bare extraCt from his logbooks,
but contains many remarks which, it appears, had
not been inferted by him in the nautical regifter; and it is
7 S alfo