Page:Journal of the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks.djvu/52

xlvi 1776, in the Resolution, his consort, the Discovery, joining him at the Cape of Good Hope. The two ships visited Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand, and spent 1777 among the islands of the South Pacific. Going north, he discovered the Sandwich Islands (1778), and surveyed the west coast of North America as far as Icy Cape (thus passing through the Behring Straits). Thence, finding further advance impossible, he returned to the Sandwich Islands, anchoring in Karakakoa Bay. The natives at first proved friendly, but quarrels afterwards arose, and Cook, going on shore to recover a stolen boat, was killed (14th February 1779), no attempt at a rescue being made.

Captain, buccaneer, fell in with "Pepys" Island, which was afterwards recognised to be one of the Falklands, about the year 1683. He sailed round the world in 1683-86, keeping a Journal from which the account of his voyage in Callander's "Terra Australis Cognita" is taken.

Alexander (1737-1808), went out as a writer in the East India Company's service in 1752, and undertook several voyages for the Company, particularly to the Sulu Islands and to China. In 1767 he published an "Account of Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean before 1764," and later a "Historical Collection of South Sea Voyages" (1770-71), besides pamphlets on Indian affairs. He was appointed the first Hydrographer to the Admiralty in 1795, but was dismissed in 1808, and died the same year.

William (1652-1715), buccaneer, captain in the navy, and hydrographer, made several voyages to the South Seas. In one of these he left Virginia in 1683 and went by way of South America to the East Indies, where he spent some time in trading. He returned to England in 1691 and published his "Voyage Round the World" (1697). On a later voyage he sailed under directions from the Admiralty along the northern coast of New Holland and visited New Guinea (1699-1701). His narrative of this expedition, entitled "Voyage to New Holland in the year 1699" (published 1703-9), is remarkable for the information it contains on the natural history, etc., of Australia. He was again in the South Seas in 1703-7 and in 1708, upon which last occasion he rescued Alexander Selkirk, whom he had himself left there on the former voyage, from the island of Juan Fernandez.

the first vessel in the English navy sheathed with copper: 1st voyage, see Byron; 2nd voyage (to Otahite), see Wallis.

George, F.R.S. (1694-1773), naturalist, Librarian to the Royal College of Physicians. He was the author of a "History of Birds" (1743-64), one volume of which is remarkable for being dedicated to God.