now employed in opening friendly communications with its-
hitherto unexplored recedes.
In the profecution o f an objetfl: fo worthy o f 'thé Monarch
o f a great commercial people, one voyage followed another^
in clofe fuceeffion ; and, we may add, in regular gradation.
What Byron * had begun, Wallis f and Carteret J .
foon improved. Their fuccefs gave birth to a far more ex-
tenfive plan of difeovery, carried into execution, in two fub-
fequent voyages, conduced by Cook §. And that nothing.
might be left unattempted, though much had been already
done, the fame Commander, whofe profeffional ikill could
only be equalled by the perfevering diligence with which
he had exerted it, in the courfe o f his former refearches,
was called upon, once more, to refume, or rather to complete,
the furvey o f the globe.* Accordingly, another voyage
was undertaken in 177s; which, though laftin the order of
time, was far from being the leaft confiderable, with re-
fpeit to the extent and importance o f its objefts ; yet, ftill,.
far left fortunate than any of the former, as thofe objedls
* Captain* now Admiral, Byron, had,, uhdér his commandf^tlie Dolphin and-
Tamer. He failed.in June 1764, and returned in May 1766.
f Captain Wallis had, under his command, the Dolphin and Swallow. He failed^
in Auguft 1766, and returned,'-with the Dolphin, in-May 1768.
% The Swallow, commanded by Captain* Carteret,, having been feparated from
Wallis,, and, by keeping'a different route,, having made different difcoveries,, this may
be confidered as a diftinft voyage. T h e Swallow returned to England in March
1769. .
§ Captain Cook, in the Endeavour, failed in Auguft 1768, and returned in-
July 1771.
In his fécond voyage, he had the Refolution- and Adventure under his command*
T h e y failed from England in July 1772, and returned on the 30th. of July 1775*
were
were not accompliihed, but at the expence o f the valuable
¿life o f its Condudlor.
When plans, calculated to be o f general utility, are carried
into execution with partial views, and upon interefted
motives, it is natural to attempt to confine, within fome
narrow circle, the advantages which might have been derived
to the world at large, by an unreferved difclofure of
all that had been effected. And, upon this principle, it has
too frequently been confidered as found policy, perhaps, in
this country, as well as amongft fome of our neighbours,
to affeft to draw a veil of fecrecy over the refult o f enter-
prizes to difcover and explore unknown quarters o f the
globe. It is to the honour of the prefent reign, that more
liberal views have been now adopted. Our late voyages
from the very extenfive objects propofed by them, could not
but convey ufeful information to every European nation;
-and, indeed, to every nation, however remote, which cultivates
commerce, and is acquainted with navigation : and
that information has moil laudably been afforded. The
fame enlarged and benevolent fpirit, which ordered thefe
fcycral expeditions to be undertaken, has alfo taken care
that the refult of their various difcoveries lhould be authentically
recorded. And the tranfaflions of the five firft
voyages round the world having, in due time, been communicated,*,
under the authority o f his Majefly’s naval
Minifter.; thofe o f the fixth, which, befides revifiting many
o f the former difcoveries in the Southern, carried its opera-
* I h T account of the firft of thefe voyages, compiled by Dr. Hawkefworth,
tjrom the Journals o f the feveral Commanders, was publiflied In 1772, in Three Volumes
quarto; and Captain Cook’s own account of the fifth, in .1,777, in T w o Vo-
.Junies quarto. . .
a 2 dons