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relates a report of the danger of two
fishermen, who arrived at a part of
the water covered with a quantity
of the creature's thick flimy excre-
ments: they immediately ftrove to
row off, but were not quick enough
in turning, to Tave the boat from one
of the Kraken's horns, which fo
crushed its prow, that it was with
difficulty they faved their lives on
the wreck, though the weather was
perfectly calm. The excrements of
this animal are faid to be attractive
of other fish, on which it feeds.
This expedient was probably necef-
fary to its fubfiftence, on account of
its flow unwieldy motion; as this
flow motion again may be neceffary
to the fecurity of a fhip, which
would certainly be overwhelmed on
encountering fuch an immense ani-
mal, if its velocity was equal to its
weight.

In confirmation of the reality of
this monster, our learned author
cites the defcription of Faroe by
Debes, for the existence of certain
iflands, which fuddenly appear, and
as fuddenly vanish. Many feafaring
people, he adds, give accounts of
fuch, particularly in the north feas;
which their fuperftition has either
afcribed to the delufion of the devil,
or confidered as inhabited by evil
fpirits. However, Pontoppidon fup-
pofes fuch mistaken iflands to be no-
thing elfe but the Kraken; in which
opinion he is greatly confirmed by
the fubfequent quotation from Dr.
Hierne, a learned Swede, and which
is certainly a very remarkable paf-
fage. "Among the rocks about

One Sunday, when I was out among the rocks, founding the coafts, it happened that, in one place, I faw fomething like three points of land in the fea, which furprized me little, as I thought I had inad vertently paffed them over before On this I called to a peasant to en quire for gummar's ore; but wher he came, we could fee nothing of it on which the peafant faid all was well, and that this prognofticated a ftorm, or a quantity of fish.' To this our author fubjoins, "Who cannot difcover that this gummar's ore, with its points, and prognosti cations of fifhes, was the Kraken mistaken for an ifland by Bureus!'

The crew of a veffel, returning from the north feas to Scotland about four years fince, were alarmed in the courfe of their paffage, by the appearance of an enormous animal which they supposed to be the Kra ken. The account given by them in an affidavit voluntarily fworn to does not tend to contradict any pre vious affertion, as to its amazing magnitude.

The bishop takes the Kraken, pro bably from its numerous tentacula which ferve it as feet, to be of the polype kind; and the contemplation of its enormous bulk, led him to ap ply fome paffages in the facre writings as defcriptive of it.

After paying a juft tribute of re fpect to the moral character and phi lofophical abilities of our author we must admit the poffibility of thi creature's existence, as it implies n contradiction; though it feems t

whale's being the largest animal in nature. But, were we to fuppofe afalmon or a sturgeon the largest fish any number of perfons had ever seen or heard of, and that the whale had discovered himself as feldom, and but in part, like the Kraken; then it will be eafily conceived, that the existence of the whale had been as unwillingly credited as that of the Kraken is now. Indeed, by the fame mode of reasoning, we are warranted in fuppofing the existence of a yet greater animal, and of a distinct Species from the Kraken: to afcertain the immense multitudes of fish, of different fizes, which inhabit the fea, is confeffedly beyond the power of any one: why, therefore, may not our ideas as to the magnitude of a particular monfter, where fo many are known to refide, be equally fubject to error? Some may fuppofe, that fuch an extenfive monfter as the Kraken would encroach on the fymmetry of nature, and be over proportionate to the fize of the globe itfelf; as a little retrofpection will inform us, that the breadth of what is feen of it, fuppofing it nearly round, must be full two thousand fix hundred feet; and its thickness, which may be called its altitude, at leaft three hundred. Nevertheless, we apprehend that thefe immenfe dimenfions will not argue conclufively against the existence of the animal, though confiderably against a numerous increase or propagation of it. In fact, the great fcarcity of the Kraken, its confinement to the north fea, and perhaps to fimilar latitudes in the fouth, the fmall number propagated by the whale, which is viviparous, and by the largest land animals, of which the elephant is faid to go two years with young, all incline us to conclude, from the analogy of nature, that this moniler is by no means numerous.

SINGULAR INSTANCE

CAT.

OF AFFECTION, DISCOVERED IN A [Transmitted by a Correfpondent.]

;

THE anecdote of a leveret, nurtured by a cat, which is mentioned by Mr. White, in his History and Antiquities of Selborne, calls to my remembrance an incident nearly fimilar to it, which happened fome years fince at the houfe of a gentleman of my acquaintance. A fox had been dug out of its earth, and was brought one evening to the houfe to be kept till the next morning, when it was to be turned out before a pack of hounds. A female rabbit, with two fucking young ones, were procured for his refreshment, and the fox accordingly ate up the old rabbit for his fupper; but in the night he found means of effecting his efcape. A cat, who had lately kittened in the house, found fuck for the young rabbits and taking compaffion on the poor orphans, nourished them as fhe would have done her own offspring,' and feemed even to pay them uncommon attention; for the frequently carried them in her mouth to different parts of the house, even into garrets, for greater fecurity from any enemies who, fhe apprehended might injure them, and more particularly from a young terrier who was alfo kept in the houfe. One of these rabbits died in two or three days, but the other lived till it was able to run about the house after its nurse, who continued to treat it with the utmost tenderness and affection, but whofe cares were unavailing to preserve her adopted from the enemy the most fufpected, the terrier, who finally demolished the poor rabbit, to the great grief of its tender fofter-mother.

See the Hiftorical Magazine, Vol. I.

page 246.

SELECT

SELECT BIOGRAPHY.

LIFE OF

CAPTAIN JAMES COOK. [Compiled from Dr. Kippis's late Publication.]

Continued from page 47.

HE perfon originally fixed

dition to the Friendly Ifles, was Mr. Dalrymple, a member of the Royal Society, who had distinguished himfelf by his knowledge of the geogra phy of the fouthern ocean. This gentleman, though not regularly bred to the fea, infifted on having a brevet commiffion, as captain of the veffel, previous to his departure. Sir Edward Hawke, then at the head of the admiralty, ftrongly oppofed this measure, declaring he would rather fuffer his right hand to be fevered from his body, than fign fuch a commiffion. Both parties being inflexible, it was neceffary to look for fome other person to conduct the expedition; and Mr. fecretary Stephens having recommended Mr. Cook, he was appointed to this important fervice, and promoted, on the 25th of May 1768, to the rank of lieutenant in the navy.

Sir Hugh Pallifer was ordered to provide a veffel fuited for the intended voyage; and with Mr. Cook's affiftance, whofe judgment he refpected, he fixed upon one of three hundred and feventy tons burthen, which was named the Endeavour fome time afterwards.

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In the mean while, captain Wallis, having returned from his voyage round the world, fignified to the Royal Society, that Port Royal harbour, in King George's Ifland, which he discovered, and which is now known by the name of Otaheite, would be the most eligible fituation for obferving the tranfit. His opinion was therefore adopted. Mr.

Charles Green was appointed to affift Mr. Cook in conducting the aftronomical part of the voyage. Ha was accompanied alfo by Jofeph Banks, efq. now fir Jofeph Banks, bart. and Dr. Solander, with the nobleft of all views, that of pro

enlarging human knowledge.

Mr. Cook was directed, after he had accomplished his main business, to proceed in making further difcoveries in the great fouthern feas. The complement of the Endeavour, confifted, with the commander, of eighty-five perfons. She was victualled for eighteen months, and ten carriage and twelve fwivel guns were fent on board of her, with abundance of ammunition, and all other neceffary stores.

On the 30th of July 1768, Mr. Cook failed from Deptford; and on the 13th of Auguft anchored in Plymouth Sound, from whence he proceeded to fea, and reached Madeira on the 13th of September. After having laid in a fresh stock of beef, water, and wine, at this ifland, he purfued his voyage; but on the 7th of November, finding that feveral articles of the fhip's provifions were likely to fall fhort, he determined to touch at Rio de Janeiro, where he had no doubt of meeting with a friendly reception. In this, however, he was difappointed; and though he received a fupply of water, and a few common neceffaries, he could not make the viceroy, who appears to have been jealous of the defigns of the English, comprehend the true intent of the expedition.

The Endeavour got under fail on the 7th of December; and on the 14th of January 1769, Mr. Cook entered the Strait of Le Maire, and next day anchored in the Bay of Good Success, where a remarkable adventure

1

adventure happened to Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, and fome others, in the course of a botanical excurtion. Afcending a mountain in fearch of plants, they were exposed to fo great a degree of cold, that Dr. Solander was feized with a torpor, which had nearly put a period to his life. Two black fervants, attendants on these adventurers, actually died. This event took place in the midst of fummer, and at the close of a day, the beginning of which was as mild and warm as the month of May in England.

Doubling Cape Horn, our navigator difcovered feveral islands, moft of which appeared to be inhabited, and to be cloathed with the moft beautiful verdure. On the 11th of April, he arrived in fight of Otaheite; and, on the 13th, the Endeayour came to anchor in Port Royal Bay, called by the natives Matavai. The first object which engaged Mr. Cook's attention upon his arrival at this place, does great honour to his good fenfe and humanity.

Senfible that his stay at the island was not likely to be long, and that much depended on the manner in which the English fhould behave to wards the natives, he drew up a fet of regulations for the mild conduct of his people, and gave exprefs or ders that they should be ftrictly obferved.

Having accomplished the grand object of his expedition, Mr. Cook began to think of purfuing his voyage, in obedience to his orders. Having got every thing in readinefs for his departure, and having taken on board Tupia, a native of the country, who brought with him a boy of thirteen years of age, and earnestly entreated that he might be allowed to accompany the Eng lifh, our navigator weighed anchor, the 13th of July, after staying three months at Qtaheite.

After afcertaining New Zealand to be two iflands, and after spending fix months in exploring their coafts, he made for New Holland; where he anchored, ín Botany Bay, on the 28th of April 1770. Mr. Cook alfo examined great part of the coafts of this extenfive country; and, finding on his arrival at Batavia, that it would be dangerous to proceed to Europe, without infpecting the Endeavour's bottom, he obtained leave from the governor to heave her down. Before the veffel was refitted, the dreadful effects of that unhealthy climate were felt. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander were attacked by fe vers, and in a little time almost every perfon was fick. This occafioned great delay; and even when the fhip was ready for fea, the number of fick amounted to forty, and the rest of the company were in a very feeble condition. It is rather fingular, that the failmaker, an old man between feventy and eighty years of age, who got drunk every day during the time he refided at Batavia, was the only perfon who preferved his health. Three feamen and a fervant died, with the furgeon, Tupia, and his companion Tayeto.

Mr. Cook departed from Batavia on the 27th of December, and directed his courfe for the Cape of Good Hope, after having taken in fome refreshments and neceffaries; but before he reached that place, the feeds of difeafe, which had been received at Batavia, appeared with alarming fymptoms, and reduced the fhip's crew to a most melancholy fituation. Mr. Banks's life was almoft defpaired of; and fo dreadful was the ravage of the diftemper, that fcarcely a night paffed but fome dead body was committed to the fea. In the courfe of fix weeks, one of Mr. Banks's affiftants, his natural history painter, the aftronomer, the boatfwain, the carpenter

and

and his mate, two midshipmen, the old failmaker and his affiftant, the fhip's cook, the corporal of the marines, two of the carpenter's crew, and nine of the feamen, all fhared the fame fate. The whole of the lofs amounted to twenty-three, exclufive of the feven who died at Ba

tavia.

The Endeavour reached the Cape of Good Hope on the 15th of March 1771, where our navigator flaid till the 14th of April, to refit his I veffel, and recover the fick. He then proceeded on his voyage; and, after touching at St. Helena, arrived in the Downs on the 12th of June in the fame year.

The fidelity, fkill, and courage, which Mr. Cook manifefted, during the course of this dangerous undertaking, procured him the favour of government, and the more immedate protection of the fovereign. Soon after his arrival, he was promoted to be a commander in his majefty's navy, by a commiffion bearing date the 29th of Auguft 1771. On this occafion, he wifhed to have been appointed a poft captain; but lord Sandwich, then at the head of the admiralty, would not comply with his request, as it was inconfiftent with the established order of the naval fervice.

Though captain Cook had fully accomplished the principal object of his voyage, and though he had afterwards traverfed great part of the Pacific ocean, and explored the coafts of New Zealand and New Holland, he had not been able to determine the question, whether a Terra Auftralis Incognita, or fouthern continent, had existence in fact. To determine this point, therefore, of fo much importance to geography and navigation, a fecond expedition was planned, at the inftance of his majefty, and captain Cook was deemed best qualified to undertake it.

VOL. II.

On the 28th of November 1771, our navigator was appointed to the command of the Refolution, of about four hundred and fixty-two tons burthen; and about the fame time Mr. Tobias Furneaux received the command of a smaller veffel named the Adventure. In the equipment of thefe veffels, every poffible attention was bestowed; they were fupplied with the best ftores and provifions, and every article fuited to the nature of the expedition was put on board of them, befides abundance of anti-fcorbutics, fuch as malt, four krout, falted cabbage, portable broth, faloup, mustard, marmalade of carrots, and infpiffated juice of wort and beer.

The advancement of fcience was equally confulted. Mr. W. Hodges, an eminent landfcape painter, was engaged to make drawings of fuch objects as could not be fo well comprehended from defcriptions; Mr. John Reinhold Forster, and his son, were appointed to explore the natural hiftory of the countries they might vifit; and Mr. William Wales, and Mr. William Bayley, were chofen for the purpofe of making aftronomical obfervations.

The 9th of April 1772, captain Cook failed from Deptford; and, on the 3d of July, joined the Adventure in Plymouth Sound. From Plymouth he departed on the 13th of the fame month; and having touched at Madeira, to obtain a supply of water, wine, and other neceffaries, proceeded on his voyage; but finding that his water would not last to the Cape of Good Hope, without putting his men to fhort allowance, he refolved to touch at St. Jago, one of the Cape de Verd islands, in order to get a fresh ftock, The 10th of Auguft he arrived at Port Praya, and having accordingly procured a fufficiency of water, and other refreshments, put to fea again on the 14th.

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[To be continued.]

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