The Life of Captain James Cook, the Circumnavigator — John Shaqi
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
Pallisser did not see Cook till some time after the accident, when the
worst was over, and it is quite in keeping with Cook's character to
minimise his sufferings, and to insist on the work being kept going as
far as possible. The surgeon, Mr. Samwell, relates that after the murder
at Owhyee they were enabled to identify his hand by the scar which he
describes as "dividing the thumb from the fingers the whole length of the
metacarpal bones." Whilst Cook was laid up with his hand, and Mr. Parker
was engaged with the survey, some of the men were employed brewing, and
either the brew was stronger than usual or, the officer's eye being off
them, they indulged too freely, for on 20th August it is noted that three
men were confined to the deck for drunkenness and mutinous conduct, and
the next day the ringleader was punished by being made to "run the
Gantelope."
Early in September, being then in the Bay of St. Genevieve, Cook went
ashore for six days and ran roughly the course of several small rivers,
noting the chief landmarks, and then on their way back to St. John's, off
Point Ferrol, their small boat was dashed to pieces on a ledge of rock,
and its occupants were saved with great difficulty by the cutter which by
great good fortune happened to be near at the time. They returned to
England for the winter, and crossing the Banks, a series of soundings
were made and the nature of the bottom carefully noted.
When Cook arrived at Woolwich, he pointed out to their Lordships that the
completion of his charts would entail his being absent from his ship, and
he would be unable to supervise everything that had to be done on board,
he therefore suggested that she should be sent to Deptford yard. This was
at once agreed to, and Cook was able to devote his whole time to his
charts. His own work had to be supplemented by the observations made by
six men-of-war stationed in Newfoundland waters as their commanding
officers had received special instructions to take ample soundings and
careful observations, and to make charts which were to be sent to Captain
Pallisser, who was informed that he would be held responsible if these
orders were not carried out in their entirety. It is very certain that an
order so emphatically enforced on his notice would not be permitted to
remain a dead letter.
GRENVILLE'S RIG CHANGED.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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