Sound, where large numbers of kelp geese were obtained, giving the crew what Cook describes as a dainty Christmas feast, though the flesh of these birds is as tough, fishy, and unpalatable as can well be imagined; on this occasion, however, the seamen seemed to have concurred in the verdict of their omnivorous commander, to whom nothing ever came amiss. Be it remembered, however, how long they had been on salt provisions, and that the South Sea Islands, though pleasant in many respects, produced but little solid food--no beef, mutton, or flesh of any quadruped but pigs, and those in not very great plenty--while New Zealand gave them nothing but fish.
Rounding Cape Horn, he passed through the Strait Le Maire, and followed the north shore of Staten Island, anchoring at one place to obtain seals and birds.
Whilst praising the flavour of a young seal cub, Cook is compelled to admit that the flesh of an old sea lion is abominable; a remarkable statement as coming from him.
Leaving Staten Island, Cook steered east and discovered South Georgia, named after the king. He followed the north coast of this desolate and ice-clad island, obtaining more refreshment in the shape of seals, penguins, and shags--unpalatable, but welcome food to men who had so long subsisted on bad salt meat. From South Georgia the ship's head was once more turned southwards, and before many days ice was again encountered. In stormy and thick weather the Resolution made her way, disproving the existence of a great tract of land laid down by speculative geographers, until January 31st, 1775, when Sandwich Land was discovered in about latitude 60 degrees south. This ice-covered group of islands was sketched under great difficulties from gales, fogs, snow, and numerous icebergs; and Cook then bore away along their parallel, to seek once more for Bouvet's Islands to the eastward.
He found nothing, and on February 26th steered for the Cape of Good Hope, even he being glad to leave this trying, tempestuous latitude. On March 23rd he anchored in Table Bay, having learnt from some vessels outside of the safe arrival of the Adventure in England the year before, and of her boat's crew having been eaten by the Maoris, which cleared up the mystery of the wrecked ship.
The Resolution finally arrived at Spithead on July 29th, 1775, after an absence of three years and eighteen days.
Captain Furneaux had, on leaving New Zealand, sailed straight for Cape Horn, the Cape of Good Hope, and England, arriving just a year before the Resolution.
Cook speaks most warmly of Captain Furneaux; but one cannot help contrasting his action with Cook's. Left, by the separation, his own master, he might have continued exploration, as did Cook. His ship was staunch, his provisions in much the same condition as the Resolution's; but he went straight home. His crew had suffered from scurvy, whereas Cook's had not; but he says not one word of this, nor does he give any reason why he gave up any further thought of the objects of the voyage, except a search for Bouvet's Islands, which he also looked for on his way.
It was the indomitable perseverance that led Cook to act so differently that raised his reputation so far above all other leaders.
Thus ended this very remarkable voyage. Never was a ship's crew exposed to more continual hardships, with so little to keep up interest and excitement, as the people of the Resolution; and yet Cook is able to record, with allowable pride, that only four lives had been lost, and only one by a sickness contracted before leaving England.
Once more the scurvy was defeated; and, without a doubt, owing to the intelligent action and untiring supervision of the captain. He gives a full description of the measures adopted, and while giving full acknowledgment to the anti-scorbutics with which he was supplied, he is of opinion that the general sanitary precautions formed the best prevention. Cleanliness of persons, bedding, clothes, and ship, were continually enforced. All these were foreign to the sailors of the time, and extraordinary it is that it was a man born in the lower rank of life, and brought up in a collier, who had the sense to perceive that in these lay the surest preventatives against this paralysing scourge.
Cook was promoted to captain--a proud position for the collier boy--and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society; perhaps even a greater distinction for a man of his bringing up. He contributed 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 via Tahiti, on to the coast of North America in about latitude 45 degrees, which he was to follow to latitude 65 degrees, 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 pounds 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 time, and had gained much more information about it than he did in his first voyage.
Cook had taken on board at the Cape as many cattle, horses, bulls, cows, goats, and sheep as he could stow, with a view of landing them at Tahiti or elsewhere, and it is without surprise that we learn that after several weeks in these stormy seas a good many of them had died. When we consider the size of the ships the wonder is where they found room for these animals.
On January 26th the ships arrived in Tasmania, and anchored in Adventure Bay, principally with a view of getting fodder for the remaining cattle. Pigs were left here, according to Cook's usual custom.
After four days the ships sailed, and arrived in Queen Charlotte's Sound, New Zealand, on February 12th, 1777. Here Cook learnt the history of the attack on the Adventure's boat's crew from the chief who led it, but made no attempt at reprisals, although urged by many other natives to kill him. He seems to have been guided by the consideration that, as related by the natives, it was a dishonest act of barter on the part of one of the sailors which commenced the disturbance; and that occurring so long before, no good purpose would be served by punishment. It says much for his humane treatment of natives.
On leaving this, Cook records
