pointed to attend at each bridge, to keep them in repair, and to affift paffengers. In the level country, where the rivers became deep and broad and ftill, they are paffed in Balzas, or floats; in the conftruction, as well as navigation of which, the ingenuity of the Peruvians appears to be far fuperior to that of any people in America, Thefe had advanced no farther in naval skill than the ufe of the paddle, or oar; the Peruvians ventured to raise a maft, and spread a fail, by means of which their balzas not only went nimbly before the wind, but could veer and tack with great celerity,"

A Voyage towards the South Pole, and round the World. Performed in his Majefty's Ships the Refolution and Adventure, in the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775. Written by James Cook, Commander of the Refolution. In which is included Captain Furneaux's Narrative of his Proceedings in the Adventure during the Separation of the Ships. Illuftrated with Maps and Charts, and a Variety of Portraits of Perfons and Views of Places, drawn during the Voyage by Mr. Hodges, and engraved by the most eminent Mafters. In 2 Vols. 4to.

HE former attempts that had been made, under the aufpices of his prefent majefty, for extending the knowledge and intercourfe of mankind, by the dif

covery of the unknown regions of the fouthern world, are fresh in every memory. Of thefe, the three years voyage round the world, performed in the Adventure by the author of the present work, and in which he was accompanied by thofe celebrated naturalifts, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, was upon many accounts particularly interefting. Though the observation of the tranfit of the planet Venus over the fun, which was taken in the newly-discovered ifland of Otaheite, was the leading object of that voyage in the outset, it became in its progrefs not lefs valuable in other refpe&ts, by the fund of knowledge and fpeculation which it opened to the navigator, the naturalist, and the philofopher.

Notwithstanding the ability and fpirit of enterprize which emi. nently diftinguished our late difcoverers, one important point of enquiry with refpect to the fouthern part of the globe ftill remained undetermined. It had long been a fubject of difcuffion with the learn ed, whether the unexplored parts of the fouthern hemifphere contained another continent, or whether fo great a part of the globe exhibited only an immenfe mafs of water. The former opinion prevailed, and was fo well fupported by philofophical reasoning, and inferences drawn from analogy, that the existence of a vast continent, which was fuppofed to extend far within the temperate climates of the fouthern hemi

sphere,

fphere, became generally believed. This new world naturally became an object of confideration with the maritime and commercial powers who hold poffeffions in America, and has at different periods, for near two hundreds years paft, excited, by turns, the fpirit of enterprize and difcovery, in the Spaniards, Dutch, English, and French.

Though thefe navigators failed in their principal object, the purfuit led to other difcoveries, and there was always matter of encouragement left for the further profecution of the original defign. New Zealand, and other iflands, were at different times fuppofed to be parts of the New Continent; and fog banks, and floating ice, were at others mistaken and marked for land. Thefe errors of navigators received a fanction from the hypothetical conclufions of philofophers, who held fuch a continent to be neceffary, in order to counterbalance the immenfe weight of earth in the northern hemifphere, whilft, on the other hand, the imaginary discoveries of the former, ferved in turn to fupport the philofophic fyftem.

The late British navigators were too accurate, and too fully determined in the profecution of their defign, to take any thing upon truft, or to be deceived by appearances; and they traverfed the Pacific Ocean in fo many directions, without falling in with any part of the expected continent, that its exiftence became more problematical than it had been hitherto confidered. It was at least pretty evident, that if it exifted in the vast extent that had been fuppofed, it must fpread more under the frozen kies

of the fouthern pole, than within the range of the moderate climates, The question was, however, Atill undecided; the new continent held its place in a fpeculative geography, and its numerous abettors were by no means difpofed to relinquifh their favourite fyftem,

The prefent voyage was undertaken with the fame enlarged and liberal views of promoting knowledge, fcience, and the interests of philofophy, that the former were; but particularly to afcertain the fact, and put an end to all diverfity of opinion upon the question, relative to the existence of the fuppofed continent. The provision of every fort, exceeded all that had been known upon any fimilar occafion. Every circumftance and fituation that could be foreseen or apprehended was provided for; and nothing was omitted, which could be deemed neceffary for the fubfiftence, fecurity, health, comfort, of the voyagers. A confiderable fum of money was allotted by parliament to encourage two gentlemen eminent in natural philofophy, to facrifice their time, and encounter the toils and dangers of fuch a voyage. In the fame fcientific fpirit, a landfcape painter of merit, and two able aftronomers, were also engaged.

or

Capt. Cook, already fo much diftinguished by his experience and ability, was, with great propriety, appointed to conduct this expedition; and Capt. Furneaux, who had gone round the world as lieutenant to Capt. Wallis, commanded the fecond veffel, the Adventure. The general plan of the voyage was, to explore the fouthern latitudes of the temperate zone with fuch accuracy, as to afcertain whether any confiderable body

of

of land lay in that range, to penetrate as far as it was poffible towards the antarctic pole; and if it could be done, to difcover whether the paffage to it was barred up by land, or only guarded by an ocean, rendered impracticable by the feverity of the climate.

Such fplendid and extraordinary events as attended the difcoveries of Columbus, de Gama, and other early navigators, who had not only a new world before them to explore, but a great part of the old continent, which was equally hid from the knowledge of Europeans, are not to be expected at the prefent day. This voyage was not undertaken to explore a certain, though unknown, region. Its great object was to decide a question; to determine a nullity, or to establish a reality. This object has been fully attained; but it has been attained in the former fenfe, by determining the nullity; it must therefore of courfe be deficient, in that glare, which the oppofite refult would have afforded. It is now evident, that no fuch contiment, as was fuppofed, exifts in the Southern Pacific Ocean. That there may be a continent within, the antarctic circle, and perhaps extending to the pole, feems not improbab e; but if there be, nature has most effectually guarded it from human enquiry or obfervation.

This voyage is, however, peculiarly interefling and valuable, upon many other accounts befides the attainment of its principal object. Some confiderable difcoveries have been made; and many places which had been barely touched at or feen by former navigators, have been explored, traced, and defcribed,

with an accuracy and care which carry the merit of original difcovery. Many mistakes have been rectified, and several supposed difcoveries fhewn to have been founded only in error. If we are not brought acquainted with many new people, we acquire a much better knowledge of thofe, who had before appeared to us through the medium of a doubtful or imperfect information. We find the author every where actuated by a fpirit, of enterprize and enquiry, which can neither be fubdued by toil, nor difmayed by danger; whilft his unwearied zeal for the promotion of general, as well as nautical knowledge, aeferves every commendation.

It is now pretty generally known, that the feverity of the c ́imate in the high fouthern latitudes, fo far exceeds what is experienced under equal parallels in the northern hemifphere, as fcarcely to admit of comparifon. Yet fuch was the indullry and fpirit, the contempt of toil, danger, and cold, fhewn by our prefent navigators, that they penetrated at three different periods within the antarctic polar circle, and, at the laft time, advanced to the latitude of 71 degrees, 10 minutes fouth; which was probably a much nearer approach to the fouthern pole, than any mortal had ever ventured before.

Their progrefs was at length ftopped by an apparently boundless tract of folid ice, which fretched from the northward towards the pole, and carried the appearance of a vait continent. It exhibited a level margin to the open fea, from whence it rofe gradually, at first into fmalier hills, and at length into stupendous mountains

of

of ice, which afcended in great ridges one above another to the fouth, until their tops were loft in the clouds. It is faid, that no known part of the northern feas produce any phenomena at all equal, or even approaching in point of magnitude, and as a natural wonder, to thefe prodigious ice mountains. Our navigators concluded, that this vast tract of ice either extended to the pole, or that it adhered to fome more fouthern frozen continent, to which it had been fixed from the earliest times. In either cafe, all farther discovery to the fouth would be equally hopeless or fruitless; for if the land could even be approached in any other part, it must ftill be as impracticable, and as impervious to human obfervation and enquiry, as the ice.

It being impoffible to penetrate any higher to the fouth in this quarter, and evidently ufelefs, if it could be done in any other, our navigators returned to explore with greater accuracy the temperate and tropical climates of the Pacific Ocean. In this courfe, they dif. covered a very confiderable island, being in point of extent the next to New Zealand, of any yet known in that fea, to which they gave the name of New Caledonia. They alfo completed the difcovery, and explored with accuracy, a confiderable Archipelago of islands, to which, from thefe circumftances, they thought themselves entitled to give a name, and accordingly Called them the New Hebrides. One of thefe had been firft touched at in the year 1606, by the celebrated Spanish navigator, Quiros, who took it to be a part of the unknown continent, which he was

then feeking; and they were lately failed through by M. de Bougain. ville, who called them the Great Cyclades.

The purpofes of the voyage with refpect to the Pacific Ocean being now fully attained, and the nonexiftence of a continent in its practicable parts clearly decided, Capt. Cook proceeded to examine the Magellanic regions, and by exploring the fouthern parts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, to complete the knowledge of the fouthern hemifphere. Here they foon encountered winter under its moft dreary afpect, and in its molt hideous form, both of which it. here displayed, more than ten degrees of latitude earlier than in the Pacific Ocean. Between the latitude of 54 and 55 fouth, they difcovered and landed at an island, which they named South Georgia. It is not eafy to conceive any thing more difmal than the face of nature in this ifland. Though it was in the midst of the fummer of that climate, the island feemed in a manner walled round with ice, and mutt have been nearly inacceffible in any other feafon. Yet this ifland, which exhibited fuch fpecimens of antarctic cold at fo great a diftance from the pole, is not above feventy leagues in compass.

Between the latitudes of 59 and 60 fouth, they difcovered a still more frozen land, which prefented an elevated coaft, whofe lofty fnow-clad fummits were feen above the clouds. To this land they gave the name of the Southern Thule, as the most fouthern land that ever has, or that, poffibly, ever may be difcovered. Nothing can be conceived more inexpreffibly horrid than the aspect of this

country i

country; a country doomed by nature never to feel the warmth of the fun's rays; and where all life and vegetation are for ever shut up in eternal froft. The forbidden coaft admitted of no anchorage; every place that looked like a port or harbour was blocked or filled up with ice.

Such were fome of the feas and regions which our navigators explored or discovered in the fouthern hemifphere. We fhall be enabled to form fome idea of their induftry in research, and perfeverance in toil, by the immenfe quantity of fpace which they traverfed in this circumnavigation of the globe. From the 22d of November, 1772, which was the day of their departure from the Cape of Good Hope, to the 22d of March 1775, which was that of their return to the fame place, being exactly two years and four months, they failed no lefs than twenty thousand leagues; an extent of voyage, nearly equal to three times the equatorial circumference of the earth, and which it is highly probable was never failed by any other fhip in an equal space of time.

This voyage was happily diftin guished by the establishment of a fact of the greatest importance, and which there is every reason to hope will prove of the greatest benefit to mankind. It has fhewn, by the clearest evidence, that a fea-faring life is not neceffarily inimical to man, nor pernicious to his health; and it demonftrates experimentally, that thofe long voyages and diftant navigations, which had hitherto proved fo deftructive to the human race, might, with proper care, and under neceffary regulations, be profecuted with as great fecurity to the health of the under

takers, as any other course of life equally laborious could be pursued on fhore. In a voyage of above three years, in which the navigators had experienced every variety of climate, from 52 degrees north latitude, to 71 fouth, and were continually expofed to every fpe cies of fatigue and hardship, the numerous fhip's company on board the Refolution, preferved a more uninterrupted state of good health, than perhaps could have been fhewn on fhore in the most temperate cli mates of the earth. In that long courfe, of near 120 perfons, only four were loft; and of that four, only one fell a victim to sickness. A fact unparalleled in the history of navigation.

This voyage was also distinguished by another difcovery of fingular importance, as well as curiosity, and which, like the former, reflects the greatest honour on Capt. Cook, for his industry, ingenuity, and the unremitting attention which he paid to the prefervation and comfort of his people, as well as to the general objects of his expedition. Under all the rigour of the antarctic sky, and enclofed in the dangers of its frozen fea, during feveral months abfence from land, and cut off from it by a prodigious expanfe of ocean, he procured for his people inexhaustible sources of excellent fresh water, from those islands of ice, which seemed to threat them with nothing less than deftruction. It is true, that Crantz had fome years ago advanced, that those great maffes, called Ice Islands, diffolved into fresh water, from whence be inferred that they owed their origin to the vaft rivers of the northern regions; but it was referved for the prefent voyage to establish the

know.