Cook's orders were long and detailed, but were to the effect that he was
to proceed by way of the Cape of Good Hope to search in the Indian Ocean
for the land recently seen by M. Kerguelen; thence via Tahiti, on to the
coast of North America in about latitude 45 degrees, which he was to
follow to latitude 65 degrees, searching especially for any channel which
might lead to the north-east, as it was supposed there might be a passage
communicating with Hudson's Bay. He was further to look for any passage
north of North America to the Atlantic, and to make such other
explorations as might seem fit to him. A money reward of 20,000 pounds
was also offered in case of success in finding such a passage.

Chronometers were again carried, and more confidence in them being felt,
more use was made of them.

Cook took with him Omai, a young Society islander, who had induced
Captain Furneaux to take him to England, and whom Cook now engaged to
return to his native country.

The ships sailed on July 11th, 1776, and arrived at Table Bay on October
18th.

Sailing thence on November 30th, he passed and roughly mapped Prince
Edward's, Marion, and Croset's Islands, all of which had been discovered
by Marion de Fresne. He then struck Kerguelen's Land, spent Christmas Day
in one of its harbours, and mapped the eastern side of this large but
desolate island. He was unaware that Kerguelen had visited this island a
second time, and had gained much more information about it than he did in
his first voyage.