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 does not mention the death of Wolfe, but says "the troops continued
the pursuit to the very gates of the city, afterward they begun to form
the necessary dispositions for carrying on the siege."
Cook is said by some writers to have piloted the troops to the
landing-place, and has even been set within hearing of the legendary
recitation by Wolfe of Gray's Elegy, but as he was out with the
Pembroke's boats in the Basin at the time Holmes started up the river,
and was probably on his ship, with his hands full driving the
bombardment, and the recital of the Elegy at such a time was probably a
myth, the traditions may be put down to imagination. The boats were
piloted to the landing by Captain Chads of H.M.S. Vesuvius.
The town having surrendered five days after the battle, the movements
made by Saunders in the Basin no doubt aiding M. de Ramesay, the
Governor, in coming to a decision, General Murray was left with a
garrison, and the fleet sailed for England, sending a detachment of the
Northumberland and six others to Halifax with orders that Captain Lord
Colville was to hoist the Broad Pennant as Commander-in-Chief of the
North American Station, and as soon as the season opened he was to return
to the St. Lawrence to render support to any further movements made in
Canada.
APPOINTMENT TO H.M.S. NORTHUMBERLAND.
Before the fleet left, however, Cook's connection with H.M.S. Pembroke
came to an end. Captain King, who was with Cook on his last voyage,
writes to Dr. Douglas that he does not know the exact date of Cook's
appointment to the Northumberland, but he was certainly Master of that
ship in 1758. Here King is in error, for Lieutenant James Norman, of the
Pembroke, has the following entry in his log under date 23rd September
1759: "Mr. Cook, Master, superseded and sent on board the Northumberland,
per order of Admiral Saunders." It has been said that Lord Colville made
this appointment, but of course he could not do so, though he may perhaps
have applied for Cook's services, but it is far more probable that the
appointment was made by Saunders for the special purpose of having the
survey of the St. Lawrence thoroughly well carried out.
CHAPTER 4. 1759 TO 1762. H.M.S. NORTHUMBERLAND.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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