While Cook was exploring the Southern Ocean, the attention of government was also turned towards discoveries in the Arctic regions. It was not thought fair, after so many years of labour and anxiety, to request him immediately to forego his honourable ease ; but when he volunteered his services, they were gladly accepted. Two ships, the Resolution' and 'Discovery,' the latter commanded by Captain Clerks, who had railed with Cook in both his former voyages, were fitted out with everything that could promote the health and comfort of the crews and the scientific objects of the voyage. They sailed from Plymouth July 12, 1776. Cook's instructions were to proceed by the Cape of Oood Hope to the Pacific, and to revisit the chain of islands lying along the southern tropic., in which he was to endeavour to disseminate and naturalise a variety of useful animals, to be carried from England and the Cape. He was then to bend his course north ward, and on reaching the western coast of America, to proceed with as little delay as possible to the latitude of 65', end then to use his best endeavours to return to the Atlantic by the high northern latitudes, between Asia and America, thus reversing the usual course of Arctio voyagers. He arrived at the Friendly Islands too late in the spring of 1777 to attempt anything in the Arctic Seas that year. In December he took a final leave of the Polynesian Archipelago, and on January 18, 1778, came in sight of an unknown group, to which he gave the name of Sandwich Islands, about 20' N. lat. Making no long stay, he reached the coast of America on March 7, being then in 44' 33' N. lat. In Nootka Sound, 49' 33' N. lat., he stopped a month to put the ships in perfect repair before encountering the dangers of the l'olar Seas, and proceeded April 26, keeping near the coast when ever the state of the weather permitted. Following this course to the extreme northern point of the Pacific, he there examined a deep bay, afterwards named Cook's Inlet, concerning which strong hopes were entertained that it might lead to the long sought discovery. These proving unfounded, he ran to the southward, along the narrow peninanla which forma the western boundary of the ICamtschatkan t3-a; and after touching at Oonalashka, made sail for Retiring'. Strait. There he determined the position of the most westerly point of America, 65' 40' N. 1st, 168' 15' W. long.; and ascertained it to be distant from the coast of Asia only thirteen leagues. On August 18 he reached his extreme latitude, 70' 41', where ho was stopped by an Impenetrable wall of ice. He continued to prosecute his search until August 29, when the daily increase of ice warned him to return. Before proceeding to the south however he spent some time In examining the lea and coasts iu the neighbourhood of Bet:ring's Strait, during which be bad satisfactory proof of the correctness of that navigator, and made valuable additions to our geographies' knowledge of that relfion.
Returning to winter at the Sandwich Islands, be discovered two which he had not before visited, Mowee (Maul) and Owhyhee (Hawaii), the largest of the group. In galling round the latter ho spent ten weeks, from December 1 to February 13, 1779, without any serious disagreement with the natives, who, on the contrary, treated the English with the utmost respect. Speaking of the disappointment in not finding a northern passage, he uses the following words, which conelude his journal :—‘• To this disappointment we owed our having it in our power to revisit the Sandwich Islands, and to enrich our voyage with a discovery, which, though the laat, seemed in many respects to be the most important that had hitherto been made by Europeans throughout the extent of the Pacifio Ocean." These
pleasant anticipations were cut short by his tragical death. On the night of February 13, one of the' Discovery'.' boats was stolen. Cook went ashore on the 11th to try to recover it; the nstivea became alarmed,- blows were struck, and Cook was obliged to fire in seJf defence. In retreating to the boats, four of the marines who attended him were killed, and Cook, who was the last person left on shore, was struck down from behind. He struggled vigorously; but the con fusion of the boats' crows was such, that no assistance was given, and he was soon overpowered. His body having been left in the possession of the natives, his bones only were recovered, the flesh having probably been devoured. Ilia remains were committed to tho deep with mili tary honours. Mr. Ssmwell, an eyewitness, ha. riven the fullest account of this melancholy event, which he ascribed to no scheme of premeditated treachery, but to a sudden impulse, arising from the belief that the loss of the host would be revenged by hostile measures. Captain Clarke succeeded to the chief command, and returned in the following summer to the Polar Sea; but be was unablo to advance as far as in the former year : the voyage therefore failed in its chief object. The ships returned by China and the Cape to England, which they reached in Ootober 1780. Au account of the voyage was pub lished from Cook's•Journal, continued by Lientenant King. Charts and plates were executed at the expense of government, and one-half of the profits of the work were bestowed upon Cook's widow and children, upon whom a pension was settled.
As a navigator, Cook's merits were of the first order. He was thoroughly acquainted both with the practical and scientillo parts of his profession, and possessed the qualities which fit men for responsible situations—a mind inventive, and full of resources, sagacity, self possession, and decision, and an intuitive readiness of perception in professional matters; so that his first opinion as to a course to be pursued, the nature of au opening, tides, currents, &c., was seldom found to be incorrect. His perseverance was unremitting, and needed no relaxation nor respite. He was a strict disciplinarian, but watchful and solicitous in an uncommon degree for the health and comfort of his crews ; and to this constant care and to his moral influence, as much as to his judgment, we must attribute that remarkable exemp tion from disease which his men enjoyed, in his last two voyages, through every variety of climate. He may be said to have banished that horrible disease, scurvy, from our naval service; and it is observed by Mr. Semwell, that his success in this respect afforded him more satisfaction than the reputation which attended his discoveries. But that which we wish to point out in his character as most rare and truly estimable, was his scrupulous justice and humanity towards the rude tribes whom he visited. For their propensity to thieving ho found a candid apology; and eny offences committed against their persons or property by his own crew, lie strictly punished ; making it a rule to pay liberally, if required, for the slightest articles, even to grass, wood, and water. Nor did he give way to the gratifying of a natural curiosity, when by doing so be was likely to provoke a hostile collision. Once only he was betrayed into an unjust aggression, which ended in bloodshed; an act which be remembered with pain, and in his journal acknowledged to be an error, while explaining the motives which led to the commission of it. Tho same benevolence and steady principle which be displayed iu public, he carried into the private relations of life. His constitution was robust, inured to fatigue, and patient of self-denial.