A V O Y A G E T O
1779- rate the two iflands, and are called after his n am e ; and
T' hm'y-. made a complete fu rvey o f both. He afterward explored
the Eaftern coaft o f New Holland, hitherto un kn own ; an
extent o f twenty-feven degrees o f latitude, or upward o f
two thoufand miles.
In his fecond expedition, he refolved the great problem o f
a Southern continent •, h a v in g traverfed that hemifphere between
the latitudes o f 40° and 70°, in fu ch a manner, as
not to leave a pofllbility o f its exiftence, unlefs near the pole,
and out o f the reach o f navigation. D u rin g this vo y a g e ,
he difcovered New Caledonia, the la rg ed iiland in the Southern
Pacific, except New Z e a lan d ; the ifland o f G eo rg ia ;
and an unknown coaft, w h ich he named Sandwich Land,
the thule o f the Southern hemifphere ; and h a v in g twice
vifited the tropical feas, h e fettled the fituations o f the old,
and made feveral n ew difcoveries.
But the vOyage w e are now relating, is diftinguiihed,
above a ll the reft, by the extent and importance o f its difcoveries.
Befides feveral fmalle r iflands in the Southern
Pacific, h e difcovered, to the North o f the equinoCtial line,
the group called the Sandwich Iflands; w h ich , from their
fituation and productions, bid fairer for be coming an object
o f confequence, in the fyftem o f European navigation, than
any other difcovery in the South Sea. He afterward, explored
what had hitherto remained un kn own o f the Weftern
coaft o f America, from the latitude o f 43° 10,70° North,, containing
an extent o f three thoufand five hundred miles •
afcertained the proximity o f the two great continents o f
Afia and America ; palled the ftraits between them, and Purveyed
the coaft, on each fide, to fuch a h e igh t o f Northern
latitude, as to demonftrate the impracticability o f a paflage,
8 " in
T H E P A .C J F I C O C E A N.
in that hemifphere, from the Atlantic into the Pacific Ocean, '779*
c February,
either b y an Eaftern or a Weftern courfe. In fhort, i f w e v, —
except the fea o f Amur, and the Japanefe A rchipelago,
w h ich ftill remain imperfeCtly kn ow n to Europeans, he has
•completed th e hydrography o f the habitable globe.
As a navigator, his fervices were not perhaps lefs fplen did;
-certainly not lefs important and meritorious. T h e method
w h ich he difcovered, and fo fucce fpfully purfued, o f pre-
fervin g the health o f feamen, forms a new sera in navigation,
and w ill tranfmit his name to future ages, amongft the
friends and benefaCtors o f mankind.
T ho fe w h o are converfarit in naval hiftory, need not be
told, at how dear a rate the advantages, w h ich have been
fou gh t, through the medium o f lo n g voyages at fea, have
a lways been purchafed. T h a t dreadful diforder w hich is
pecu lia r to this fervice, and whofe ra vag es have marked the
tracks o f difcoverers w ith circumftances almoft too iho ck -
in g to relate, muft, with ou t exercifing an unwarrantable
ty rann y over the lives o f our feamen, have proved an in-
fuperable obftacle to the profecution o f fuch enterprizes. It
w a s referved fo r Captain Cook to Ih'ew the world, by
repeated trials, that voyages m igh t be protracted to the un -
u fu a l length o f three or even fo u r years, in un kn own reg
ion s , and under every change and rig o u r o f climate, not
only withou t affecfting the health, but even with ou t di-
min ifhing the probability o f life, in the fmalleft degree.
T h e method he purfued has been fu lly explained b y hitn-
felf, in a paper w hich was read before the Royal Society, in
the year 17 76 * ; and whatever improvements the,experience
* Sir Godfrey Copley’s gold medal was adjudged to him, on that occafion.
H a 0 f