Page:Captain Cook's Journal during His First Voyage Round the World.djvu/47

Rh papers on his methods of preventing scurvy, and on the tides of the Pacific.

He also employed himself in publishing the account of his recent voyage, the only one which he himself edited.

He was not, however, long at rest. The Admiralty wished to send an expedition to explore the north-western coasts of North America and to examine the Polar Sea from the Bering Straits side, with a view of the discovery of a north-west passage. Cook seems to have volunteered for the command without being actually asked, and, needless to say, was at once accepted.

In February he once more received his commission to command the Resolution, this time accompanied by the Discovery, a vessel very similar to the Adventure, his consort during the last voyage. Clerke, a master's mate in the Endeavour, and second lieutenant in the Resolution, was appointed as commander to the Discovery. He, like Cook, was fated not to return from this third journey to the great Pacific.

Others who had sailed with Cook before were ready to accompany him, once more to encounter privations and find new lands.

Cook's orders were long and detailed, but were to the effect that he was to proceed by way of the Cape of Good Hope to search in the Indian Ocean for the land recently seen by M. Kerguelen; thence viâ Tahiti, on to the coast of North America in about latitude 45°, which he was to follow to latitude 65°, searching especially for any channel which might lead to the north-east, as it was supposed there might be a passage communicating with Hudson's Bay. He was further to look for any passage north of North America to the Atlantic, and to make such other explorations as might seem fit to him. A money reward of £20,000 was also offered in case of success in finding such a passage.

Chronometers were again carried, and more confidence in them being felt, more use was made of them.

Cook took with him Omai, a young Society islander, who had induced Captain Furneaux to take him to England, and whom Cook now engaged to return to his native country.

The ships sailed on July 11th, 1776, and arrived at Table Bay on October 18th.

Sailing thence on November 30th, he passed and roughly mapped Prince Edward's, Marion, and Croset's Islands, all of which had been discovered by Marion de Fresne. He then struck Kerguelen's Land, spent Christmas Day in one of its harbours, and mapped the eastern side of this large but desolate island. He was unaware that Kerguelen had visited this island a second