fe a io n . At the conclufion o f the war, he was appointed,
throu gh the recommendation o f Lord Colville M r i l u g ,
m m , to furvey the G u lf o f St. Lawrence, and the coafts
,of N e w f o u n d l a n d . In this employment he continued ill
the year 1767, when he was fixed on b y Sir Edward Hawke,
to c o m m a n d an expedition to the South Seas ; for the purpofe
o f obferving the tranfit o f Venus, and profecuting d ii-
eoveries in that part o f the globe.
From this period, as his fervices are too w e ll kn ow n to
reciuire a recital here, fo his reputation has proportionably
advanced to a h e igh t too great to be affefted by m y pane-
g y r ick . Indeed, he appears to have been moft eminently
and peculiarly qualified for this fpecies o f enterpnze. T h e
earlieft habits o f his life , the courfe o f his fervices, and the
conflant application o f his mind, a ll confpired to fir h im for
it, and ga ve him a degree o f profeflional kn owled ge , w h ich
can fa ll to the lot o f v e ry few .
T h e conftitution o f his body was robuft, inured to labour,
and capable o f undergoing the fevereft hardihips. His fto-
m a ch bore, withou t difficulty, the coarfeft and moil un g
ra te fu l food. Indeed, temperance in hirn was fcarcely a
virtue • fo great was the indifference w ith w hich he fub-
mitted to every kind o f felf-denial. T h e qualities o f his
mind were o f the fame hardy, vigorous kind w ith thofe o f
h is body. His underilanding was firong and perfpicacious.
His judgment, in whatever related to the fervices he was
engaged in, q u ick and fure. His defigns were bold and
m a n ly ; and both in the conception, and in the mode o f
execution, bore evident marks o f a great orig inal genius.
His courage was cool and determined, and accompanied
w ith an admirable prefence o f mind in the moment o f 6 danger,
danger. His manners were plain and unaffefted. His '7?9-
o . * - . February.
temper migh t perhaps have been ju ftly blamed, as fu b je il '----- —
to hailinefs and paffion, had not thefe been difarmed b y a
difpofition the moft benevolent and humane.
Such were the outlines o f Captain Cook’s cha ra c te r; but
its moft diftinguifhing feature was,that un remittin g perfeve-
rarice in the purfuit o f his objedl, w hich was not only fuperior
to the oppofition o f dangers, and the preffure o f hardihips, but
even exempt from the want o f ordinary relaxation. Du rin g
the long and tedious voyages in w hich he was engaged, his
eagernefs and activity were never in the leaft abated. No
incidental temptation could detain h im for a m om e n t ; even
thofe intervals o f recreation, w h ich fometimes unavoidably
occurred, and were looked fo r b y us w ith a lo n g in g , that
perfons, who have experienced the fa tigu e s o f fervice, w ill
readily excufe, were fubmitted to b y him' w ith a certain
impatience, whenever the y could not be employed in m a k in g
fu r th e r provifion fo r the more effectual profecution o f his
defigns.
It is not neceffary, here, to enumerate the inftances in
w hich thefe qualities were difplayed, d u r in g the great and
important enterprizes in w h ich he was engaged. I iha ll
content m y fe lf w ith ftating the refult o f thofe fervices,
under the two principal heads to w h ich they ma y be re fe rred,
thofe o f geo grap hy and navigation, placin g each in a
feparate and diftinCt point o f view.
Perhaps no fcience ever received greater additions from
the labours o f a fingle man, than geo grap hy has done from
thofe o f Captain Cook. In his firft voyage to the South
Seas, he difcovered the Society Iflands ; determined the in -
fularity o f N ew Z e a la n d ; difcovered the ftraits w hich fepa-
Voc. HI. H rate