A

VOYAGE

TO THE

PACIFIC OCEAN,

TO DETERMINE

THE POSITION AND EXTENT OF THE WEST SIDE OF NORTH AMERICA; ITS DISTANCE FROM ASIA; AND THE PRACTICABILITY

OF A NORTHERN PASSAGE TO EUROPE.

PERFORMED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF

CAPTAINS COOK, CLERKE, AND GORE,

IN HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS THE RESOLUTION AND DISCOVERY,

IN THE YEARS 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, AND 1780.

VOL. I.

WRITTEN BY CAPTAIN COOK.

INTRODUCTION

TO THE

VOYAGE TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

THE spirit of discovery, which had long animated the European nations, having, after its arduous and successful exertions during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, gradually subsided, and for a considerable time lain dormant, began to revive in Great Britain in the late reign*; and recovered all its former activity, under the cherishing influence, and munificent encouragement, of his present Majesty.

Soon after his accession to the throne, having happily closed the destructive operations of war, he turned his thoughts to enterprizes more humane, but not less brilliant, adapted to the season of returning peace. While every liberal art, and useful study, flourished under his patronage at home, his superintending care was extended to such branches of knowledge as required distant examination and inquiry; and his ships, after bringing back victory and conquest from every quarter of the known world,

Two voyages for discovering a North-West passage, through Hudson's Bay, were then performed; one under the command of Captain Middleton, in his Majesty's ships the Furnace, and the Discovery Pink, in 1741 and 1742; the other under the direction of Captains Smith and Moore, in the ships Dobbs and California, fitted out by subscription, in 1746 and 1747.

were now employed in opening friendly communications with its hitherto unexplored recesses.

In the prosecution of an object so worthy of the Monarch of a great commercial people, one voyage followed another in close succession; and we may add, in regular gradation. What Byron had begun, Wallist and Carterett soon improved. Their success gave birth to a far more extensive plan of discovery, carried into execution, in two subsequent voyages, conducted by Cook. § And that nothing might be left unattempted, though much had been already done, the same commander, whose professional skill could only be equalled by the persevering diligence with which he had exerted it, in the course of his former researches, was called upon, once more, to resume, or rather to complete, the survey of the globe. Accordingly, another voyage was undertaken in 1776; which, though last in the order of time, was far from being the least considerable, with respect to the extent and importance of its objects; yet, still, far less fortunate than any of the former, as those objects were not accomplished, but at the expence of the valuable life of its conductor.

When plans, calculated to be of general utility, are carried into execution with partial views, and upon

Captain, now Admiral, Byron had under his command the Dolphin and Tamer. He sailed in June, 1764, and returned in May, 1766.

+ Captain Wallis had under his command the Dolphin and Swallow. He sailed in August, 1766, and returned, with the Dolphin, in May, 1768.

The Swallow, commanded by Captain Carteret, having been separated from Wallis, and, by keeping a different route, having made different discoveries, this may be considered as a distinct voyage. The Swallow returned to England in March 1769.

S Captain Cook, in the Endeavour, sailed in August 1768, and returned in July, 1771.

In his second voyage, he had the Resolution and Adventure under his command. They sailed from England in July, 1772, and returned on the 30th of July, 1775.

interested motives, it is natural to attempt to confine, within some narrow circle, the advantages which might have been derived to the world at large by an unreserved disclosure of all that had been effected. And, upon this principle, it has too frequently been considered as sound policy, perhaps, in this country, as well as amongst some of our neighbours, to affect to draw a veil of secrecy over the result of enterprizes to discover and explore unknown quarters of the globe. It is to the honour of the present reign, that more liberal views have been now adopted. Our late voyages, from the very extensive objects proposed by them, could not but convey useful information to every European nation; and, indeed, to every nation, however remote, which cultivates commerce, and is acquainted with navigation: and that information has most laudably been afforded. The same enlarged and benevolent spirit, which ordered these several expeditions to be undertaken, has also taken care that the result of their various discoveries should be authentically recorded. And the transactions of the five first voyages round the world having, in due time, been communicated*, under the authority of his Majesty's naval minister; those of the sixth, which, besides revisiting many of the former discoveries in the Southern, carried its operations into untrodden paths in the Northern hemisphere, are, under the same sanction, now submitted to the public in these volumes.

One great plan of nautical investigation having been pursued throughout, it is obvious, that the several voyages have a close connection, and that an exact recollection of what had been aimed at, and effected, in those that preceded, will throw con

*The account of the four first of these voyages, compiled by Dr. Hawkesworth, from the Journals of the several commanders, was published in 1772, in three volumes quarto; and Captain Cook's own account of the fifth, in 1777, in two volumes quarto.