The Life of Captain James Cook, the CircumnavigatorKitson, Arthur
History
The Life of Captain James Cook, the Circumnavigator
Kitson, Arthur
Cook, James, 1728-1779; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Geographers -- Great Britain -- Biography
Cook and King were to take observations on the Resolution, and Bailey,
who was with the Adventure the previous voyage, was appointed as
astronomer to the Discovery; the necessary instruments being supplied by
the Board of Longitude. The chronometer, made by Kendal, which had given
such satisfaction last voyage, was again on board the Resolution. It was
afterwards with Bligh in the Bounty, sold by Adams after the Mutiny to an
American, who sold it again in Chili. It was then purchased for 52 pounds
10 shillings, repaired, and rated, and after keeping fair time for some
years was presented by Admiral Sir Thomas Herbert to the United Service
Museum, and is still in working order.
CLERKE IN THE FLEET.
On 15th June the two ships sailed for the Nore; there the Resolution
waited for her Captain, whilst the Discovery, under the command of
Burney, went on to Plymouth, but, meeting with damage in a gale, had to
put into Portland for temporary repairs. Captain Clerke was detained in
London, "in the Rules of the Bench," as he had become financially
responsible for a friend who left him in the lurch. He wrote to Banks,
saying, "the Jews are exasperated and determined to spare no pains to
arrest me." It appears that he contracted the illness which led to his
death at this period.
CHAPTER 16. 1776 TO 1777. THIRD VOYAGE.
On 24th June Cook and Omai joined the ship at the Nore, leaving next day
for Plymouth, arriving there on 30th, three days after the Discovery. On
8th July the final orders, which Cook had helped to draw up, were
received. They were to the effect that he was to proceed by the Cape of
Good Hope; to look for some islands said to have been seen by the French
in latitude 48 degrees, about the longitude of Mauritius; to touch at New
Zealand, if he thought proper; and then to proceed to Otaheite and leave
Omai there, or at the Society Islands, as the latter might wish. Leaving
Otaheite about February he was to strike the North American coast in
about 45 degrees latitude, avoiding, if possible, touching at any of the
Spanish dominions, and proceeding northwards to explore any rivers or
inlets that seemed likely to lead to Hudson's or Baffin's Bay. For the
winter he was to proceed to the Port of St. Peter and St. Paul in
Kamtschatka, or other suitable place, and in the ensuing spring he was
again to try and find a passage either to the east or west; failing that,
the ships were then to return to England. A reward of 20,000 pounds had
been offered to any British merchant ship that discovered a passage
between Hudson's Bay and the Pacific; and now this offer was thrown open
to any ship flying the British flag, and the passage might be to the east
or west so long as it was north of latitude 52 degrees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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