Shortly after his return Cook was promoted to the rank of com mander. His journal and the papers of Mr. Banks were entrusted to Dr. Hawkcaworth, who from these documents, and tho materials of Captains Byron, Wallis, and Carteret, published an account of the several voyages of discovery undertaken during the reign of George IR into the Pacific, illustrated with plates and charts at the expense of government.
This voyage proved that neither New Zealand nor Australia was part of the supposed southern continent ; and also that no such con tinent could exist to the northward of 40° S. lat. It was now deter mined to send out a second expedition under Cook to explore the higher latitudes ; and the 'Resolution; of 460 toes, and a smaller ship, the Adventure,' Captain Furneaux—which parted company in the second year of the voyage—were commissioned for this purpose. Cook was instructed to circumnavigate the globe in high southern latitudes, prosecuting his discoveries as near the South Pole as possible, and making such traverses from time to time into every corner of the Pacific Ocean not before examined, as might finally and effectually resolve the much agitated question about the existence of a southern continent in any part of the southern hemisphere to which access could be had by the efforts of the boldest and most skilful navigator.
The two ships sailed from Plymouth July 13, 1772, quitted the Cape of Good Hope November 22nd, and traversed the Southern Ocean in high latitudes during near four months, between the limits of 20° and 170° E. long., the extreme point to the southward being lat. 57° 15'. Having satisfied himself that no land of great extent could exist between these limits, Captain Cook made sail for New Zealand, which he reached March 26, 1773. After spending the winter months (our summer) among the Society Islands, he resumed his quest of the southern continent in November, proceeding eastward, principally between the 60th and 70th parallels of latitude, and from 170° E. long. to 106' 54' W. long., where he reached his extreme aouthing, lat. 10', being there finally stopped by the ice. Returning northward, during the winter months he traversed the Pacific' Ocean in the southern tropic, from Easter Island to the New Hebrides, and discovered another island, the largest in the Pacific except New Zealand, which he called New.Caledonia. Thence he returned to New Zealand to refresh the crew, and resumed his quest of a southern I continent November 10. Having sailed in different latitudes between 43° and 56° till the 27th, when he was in 138° 56' W. long., ho gave up all hops of finding any more land in this ocean, and determined to steer direct for the western entrance of the Strait of Magalhaana, with a view of coasting the south side of Tierra del Fuego, which at that time was very imperfectly known. He passed Cape Horn December 29,
and standing southward, discovered Sandwich Land, a desolate coast, the extreme point of which, in lat. 59° 13', W. long. about 22°, was named by him the-Southern Thule, as being the moat southern land which had been then discovered. Thence he ran to the eastward, nearly to the longitude of the Cape of Good Hope, and having thus anatenpaared the globe In a high ialitnde, and satisfied himself that no lai.s1 of considerable magnitude could exist between the 50th and 70th parallels. be thought it inexpedient to prosecute his disooverica in those tempestuous seas with a worn ship and nearly exhausted pro visions. Accordingly lie made sail for the Cape, which he reachosi March 22, 1774, having railed no lase than 20,000 leagues since be left it, without meeting even with so trifling an accident as the loss of a mast or yard. On the 30th of July he anchored at Spithead.
lie was immediately milled to the rank of postecaptrsin, and received a more substantial reward for his services in being appointed a captain of Greenwich Hospital. Men of science were powerfully interested, not only by his geographical discoveries but by his unprecedented success during this voyage in preserving the health of his ship's com pany, of whom he lost only four, and only one of these by any sickness His method consisted chiefly in a strict attention to diet, and to keeping the ship clean, well-aired, and dry. Much however was found to depend upon the care and influence of the commanding officer; for the crew of the 'Adventure,' fitted out with the same provisions, had suffered considerably even at an early period of the voyage. On the day of Cook's admission to the Royal Society, March 7, 1775, a paper of his was read, giving an account of the methods ha adopted for preserving the health of his men. On the 18th of April he communicated a second paper, relative to the tides in the South Seas: both of there are printed in the Philosophical Transactions,' eel lxvi. For the former the Society gave him the Copley medal, which is bestowed for the best experimental paper of the year. Of this second voyage he published hie own journal, illustrated by maps and engravings; a supplementary volume containing the astronomical observations was published at the expense of the Commissioners of Longitude. The style is nnpretending, clear, and mealy, and, con sidering the imperfection of his education, does credit to his sense and ability.