History of the World/History of the World (Bureau Development, Inc.)(1992).BIN/dp/0267/02670.txt

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$Unique_ID{how02670}
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$Title{Narrative Of The Voyages Round The World
Chapter I: Previous To Captain Cook's First Voyage Round The World.}
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$Author{Cook, Captain James}
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$Subject{cook
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$Date{1779}
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Title:       Narrative Of The Voyages Round The World
Book:        Chapter I: Previous To Captain Cook's First Voyage Round The World.
Author:      Cook, Captain James
Date:        1779

Chapter I: Previous To Captain Cook's First Voyage Round The World.

     Captain James Cook had no claim to distinction on account of the lustre
of his birth, or the dignity of his ancestors.  His father, James Cook, who
from his dialect is supposed to have been a Northumbrian, was in the humble
station of a servant in husbandry, and married a woman of the same rank with
himself, whose christian name was Grace.  Both of them were noted in their
neighbourhood for their honesty, sobriety, and diligence.  They first lived at
a village called Morton, and then removed to Marton, another village in the
North-riding of Yorkshire, situated in the high road from Gisborough, in
Cleveland, to Stockton upon Tees, in the county of Durham, at the distance of
six miles from each of these towns.  At Marton, Captain Cook was born, on the
27th of October, 1728; ^1 and agreeably to the custom of the vicar of the
parish, whose practice it was to baptize infants soon after their birth, he
was baptized on the 3d of November following.  He was one of nine children,
all of whom are now dead, excepting a daughter, who married a fisherman at
Redcar.  The first rudiments of young Cook's education were received by him at
Marton, where he was taught to read by Dame Walker, the schoolmistress of the
village.  When he was eight years of age, his father, in consequence of the
character he had obtained for industry, frugality, and skill in husbandry, had
a little promotion bestowed upon him, which was that of being appointed
head-servant, or hind, ^2 to a farm belonging to the late Thomas Skottow, Esq.
called Airy Holme, near Great Ayton.  To this place, therefore, he removed
with his family; ^3 and his son James, at Mr. Skottow's expense, was put to a
day-school in Ayton, where he was instructed in writing, and in a few of the
first rules of arithmetic.

[Footnote 1: The mud house in which Captain Cook drew his first breath is
pulled down, and no vestiges of it are now remaining.]

[Footnote 2: This is the name which, in that part of the country, is given to
the head servant, or bailiff of a farm.]

[Footnote 3: Mr. Cook, senior, spent the close of his life with his daughter,
at Redcar, and is supposed to have been about eighty-five years of age when he
died.]

     Before he was thirteen years of age, he was bound an apprentice to Mr.
William Sanderson, a haberdasher, or shopkeeper, at Straiths, a considerable
fishing town, about ten miles north of Whitby.  This employment, however, was
very unsuitable to young Cook's disposition.  The sea was the object of his
inclination; and his passion for it could not avoid being strengthened by the
situation of the town in which he was placed; and the manner of life of the
persons with whom he must frequently converse.  Some disagreement having
happened between him and his master had obtained his discharge, and soon after
bound for seven years to Messrs. John and Henry Walker, of Whitby, Quakers by
religious profession, and principal owners of the ship Free-love, and of
another vessel, both of which were constantly employed in the coal trade.  The
greatest part of his apprenticeship was spent on board the Free-love.  After
he was out of his time, he continued to serve in the coal and other branches
of trade (though chiefly in the former) in the capacity of a common sailor,
till, at length, he was raised to be mate of one of Mr. John Walker's ships.
During this period it is not recollected that he exhibited any thing very
peculiar, either in his abilities or his conduct; though there can be no doubt
but that he had gained a considerable degree of knowledge in the practical
part of navigation, and that his attentive and sagacious mind was laying up a
store of observations, which would be useful to him in future life.

     In the spring of the year 1755, when hostilities broke out between
England and France, and there was a hot press for seamen, Mr. Cook happened to
be in the river Thames with the ship to which he belonged.  At first he
concealed himself, to avoid being pressed; but reflecting that it might be
difficult, notwithstanding all his vigilance, to elude discovery or escape
pursuit, he determined, upon further consideration to enter voluntarily into
his majesty's service, and to take his future fortune in the royal navy.
Perhaps he had some presage in his own mind, that by his activity and
exertions he might rise considerably above his present situation. Accordingly
he went to a rendezvous at Wapping, and entered with an officer of the Eagle
man of war, a ship of sixty guns, at that time commanded by Captain Hamer.  To
this ship Captain (afterwards Sir Hugh) Palliser was appointed, in the month
of October, 1755; and when he took the command, found in her James Cook, whom
he soon distinguished to be an able, active, and diligent seaman.  All the
officers spoke highly in his favour, and the captain was so well pleased with
his behaviour, that he gave him every encouragement which lay in his power.

     In the course of some time, Captain Palliser received a letter from Mr.
Osbaldeston, then member of Parliament for Scarborough, acquainting him that
several neighbours of his had solicited him to write in favour of one Cook, on
board the captain's ship.  They had heard that Captain Palliser had taken
notice of him, and they requested, if he thought Cook deserving of it, that he
would point out in what manner Mr. Osbaldeston might best contribute his
assistance towards forwarding the young man's promotion.  The captain, in his
reply, did justice to Cook's merit; but, as he had been only a short time in
the navy, informed Mr. Osbaldeston that he could not be promoted as a
commission officer.  A master's warrant, Captain Palliser added, might perhaps
be procured for Mr. Cook, by which he would be raised to a station that he was
well qualified to discharge with ability and credit.

     Such a warrant he obtained on the 10th of May, 1759, for the Grampus
sloop; but the proper master having unexpectedly returned to her, the
appointment did not take place.  Four days after, he was made master of the
Garland; when, upon inquiry, it was found that he could not join her, as the
ship had already sailed.  On the next day, the 15th of May, he was appointed
to the Mercury.  These quick and successive appointments show that his
interest was strong, and that the intention to serve him was real and
effectual.

     The destination of the Mercury was to North America, where she joined the
fleet under the command of Sir Charles Saunders, which, in conjunction with
the land forces under General Wolfe, was engaged in the famous siege of
Quebec.  During that siege, a difficult and dangerous service was necessary to
be performed.  This was, to take the soundings in the channel of the river St.
Lawrence, between the island of Orleans and the north shore, directly in the
front of the French fortified camp at Montmorency and Beauport, in order to
enable the admiral to place ships against the enemy's batteries, and to cover
our army on a general attack, which the heroic Wolfe intended to make on the
camp.  Captain Palliser, in consequence of his acquaintance with Mr. Cook's
sagacity and resolution, recommended him to the service; and he performed it
in the most complete manner.  In this business he was employed during the
night-time, for several nights together.  At length he was discovered by the
enemy, who collected a great number of Indians and canoes, in a wood near the
water-side, which were launched in the night, for the purpose of surrounding
him, and cutting him off On this occasion he had a very narrow escape.  He was
obliged to run for it, and pushed on shore on the island of Orleans, near the
guard of the English hospital.  Some of the Indians entered at the stern of
the boat as Mr. Cook leaped out at the bow; and the boat, which was a barge
belonging to one of the ships of war, was carried away in triumph.  However he
furnished the admiral with as correct and complete a draft of the channel and
soundings as could have been made after our countrymen were in possession of
Quebec Sir Hugh Palliser has good reason to believe, that before this time Mr.
Cook had scarcely ever used a pencil and that he knew nothing of drawing.  But
such was his capacity, that he speedily made himself master of every object to
which he applied his attention.

     Another important service was performed by Mr. Cook while the fleet
continued in the river of St. Lawrence.  The navigation of that river is
exceedingly difficult and hazardous.  It was particularly so to the English,
who were then in a great measure strangers to this part of North America, and
who had no chart, on the correctness of which they could depend.  It was,
therefore, ordered by the admiral, that Mr. Cook should be employed to survey
those parts of the river, below Quebec, which navigators had experienced to be
attended with peculiar difficulty and danger; and he executed the business
with the same diligence and skill of which he had already afforded so happy a
specimen.  When he had finished the undertaking, his chart of the river St.
Lawrence was published, with soundings, and directions for sailing in that
river.  Of the accuracy and utility of this chart, it is sufficient to say,
that it hath never since been found necessary to publish any other One, which
has appeared in France, is only a copy of our author's on a reduced scale.

     After the expedition at Quebec, Mr. Cook, by warrant from Lord Colvill,
was appointed, on the 22d of September, 1759, master of the Northumberland man
of war, the ship in which his lordship staid, in the following winter, as
commodore, with the command of a squadron at Halifax.  In this station Mr.
Cook's behaviour did not fail to gain him the esteem and friendship of his
commander.  During the leisure, which the season of winter afforded him, he
employed his time in the acquisition of such knowledge as eminently qualified
him for future service.  It was at Halifax that he first read Euclid, and
applied himself to the study of astronomy and other branches of science.  The
books of which he had the assistance were few in number: but his industry
enabled him to supply many defects, and to make a progress far superior to
what could be expected from the advantages he enjoyed.

     While Mr. Cook was master of the Northumberland under Lord Colvill, that
ship came to Newfoundland, in September, 1762, to assist in the recapture of
the island from the French, by the forces under the command of
Lieutenant-colonel Amherst.  When the island was recovered, the English fleet
staid some days at Placentia, in order to put it in a more complete state of
defence.  During this time Mr. Cook manifested a diligence in surveying the
harbour and heights of the place, which arrested the notice of Captain (now
Admiral) Graves, commander of the Antelope, and governor of Newfoundland.  The
governor was hence induced to ask Cook a variety of questions, from the
answers to which he was led to entertain a very favourable opinion of his
abilities.  This opinion was increased, the more he saw of Mr. Cook's conduct;
who, wherever they went, continued to display the most unremitting attention
to every object that related to the knowledge of the coast, and was calculated
to facilitate the practice of navigation.  The esteem which Captain Graves had
conceived for him, was confirmed by the testimonies to his character, that
were given by all the officers under whom he served.

     In the latter end of 1762, Mr. Cook returned to England; and, on the 21st
of December, in the same year, married, at Barking, in Essex, Miss Elizabeth
Batts, an amiable and deserving woman, who was justly entitled to and enjoyed
his tenderest regard and affection.  But his station in life, and the high
duties to which he was called, did not permit him to partake of matrimonial
felicity, without many and very long interruptions.

     Early in the year 1763, after the peace with France and Spain was
concluded, it was determined that Captain Graves should go out again, as
governor of New-foundland.  As the country was very valuable in a commercial
view, and had been an object of great contention between the English and the
French, the captain obtained an establishment for the survey of its coasts;
which, however, he procured with some difficulty, because the matter was not
sufficiently understood by Government at home.  In considering the execution
of the plan, Mr. Cook appeared to Captain Graves to be a proper person for the
purpose; and proposals were made to him, to which, notwithstanding his recent
marriage, he readily and prudently acceded.  Accordingly, he went out with the
captain as surveyor; and was first employed to survey Miquelon and St. Pierre,
which had been ceded by the treaty to the French; who, by order of
administration, were to take possession of them at a certain period, even
though the English commander should not happen to be arrived in the country.
When Captain Graves had reached that part of the world, he found there the
governor, who had been sent from France, (Mons. D'Aujac,) with all the
settlers and his own family, on board a frigate and some transports.  It was
contrived, however, to keep them in that disagreeable situation for a whole
month, which was the time taken by Mr. Cook to complete his survey.  When the
business was finished, the French were put into possession of the two islands,
and left in the quiet enjoyment of them, with every profession of civility.

     At the end of the season, Mr. Cook returned to England, but did not long
continue at home.  In the beginning of the year 1764, his old and constant
friend and patron, Sir Hugh Palliser, was appointed governor and commodore of
Newfoundland and Labrador; upon which occasion, he was glad to take Mr. Cook
with him, in the same capacity that he had sustained under Captain Graves.
Indeed, no man could have been found, who was better qualified for finishing
the design which had been begun in the preceding year.  The charts of the
coasts, in that part of North America, were very erroneous; and it was highly
necessary to the trade and navigation of his majesty's subjects, that new ones
should be formed which would be more correct and useful.  Accordingly, under
the orders of Commodore Palliser, Mr. Cook was appointed on the 18th of April,
1764, marine surveyor of Newfoundland and Labrador; and he had a vessel, the
Grenville schooner, to attend him for that purpose.  How well he executed his
commission, is known to every man acquainted with navigation. The charts,
which he afterwards published of the different surveys he had made, reflected
great credit on his abilities and character, and the utility of them is
universally acknowledged.  It is understood, that, so far as Newfoundland is
concerned, they were of considerable service to the king's ministers in
settling the terms of the last peace.  Mr. Cook explored the inland parts of
this island in a much completer manner than had ever been done before.  By
penetrating further into the middle of the country than any man had hitherto
attempted, he discovered several large lakes, which are indicated upon the
general chart.  In these services, Mr. Cook appears to have been employed,
with the intervals of occasionally returning to England for the winter season,
till the year 1767, which was the last time that he went out upon his station
of marine surveyor of Newfoundland.  It must not be omitted, that while he
occupied this post, he had an opportunity of exhibiting to the Royal Society a
proof of his progress in the study of astronomy.  A short paper was written by
him, and inserted in the fifty-seventh volume of the Philosophical
Transactions, entitled, "An Observation of an Eclipse of the Sun at the Island
of Newfoundland, August 5, 1766, with the Longitude of the Place of
Observation deduced from it." The observation was made at one of the Burgeo
islands, near Cape Ray, in latitude 47 degrees 36' 19", on the south-west
extremity of Newfoundland.  Mr. Cook's paper having been communicated by Dr.
Bevis to Mr. Witchell, the latter gentleman compared it with an observation at
Oxford, by the Rev. Mr. Hornsby, on the same eclipse, and thence computed the
difference of longitude respecting the places of observation, making due
allowance for the effect of parallax, and the prolate spheroidal figure of the
earth.  It appears from the Transactions, that our navigator had already
obtained the character of being an able mathematician.