As this voyage forms the subject of this book, its events may be passed
over briefly.

Calling at Madeira--where the log records that the Endeavour was fired
upon by the fort on the Loo Rock through some misapprehension while
shifting berth, though Cook passes this by in silence--and Rio Janeiro,
Cook proceeded to double Cape Horn. His predecessors had struggled
through the Strait of Magellan, losing much time and wearing out their
men with the continual anchoring and weighing in that long and narrow
passage, rendered necessary by the constant foul and strong winds that
prevail. The idea was to avoid the heavy seas and gales of the open sea;
but Cook's action was amply justified by a more rapid passage without any
danger. Discovering several of the low coral atolls of the Paumotu Group,
he arrived at Tahiti on April 13th, 1769.

On July 13th, the transit of Venus having been observed under favourable
conditions on June 1st, he left Tahiti, exploring and mapping the Society
Islands immediately to the westward, never before visited, and then stood
to the southward. It may here be mentioned that it is only during the
last decade that Cook's charts of the Society Group have been superseded
by more elaborate surveys by the French.

Cook went to 40 degrees south, discovering one of the Austral Group on
his way, when, finding no sign of the hypothetical southern Continent,
and getting into very dirty weather, he first gained a more northern
latitude and favourable winds, and then stood for New Zealand.

On October 7th he arrived at Poverty Bay, and during the next six months
he completely circumnavigated and mapped the islands of New Zealand. He