iscovered, and so successfully pursued, of preserving the health of
seamen, forms a new aera in navigation; and will transmit his name to
future ages amongst the friends and benefactors of mankind.

Those who are conversant in naval history need not be told, at how
dear a rate the advantages which have been sought through the medium
of long voyages at sea, have always been purchased. That dreadful
disorder, which is peculiar to this service, and whose ravages
have marked the tracks of discoverers with circumstances almost too
shocking to relate, must, without exercising an unwarrantable tyranny
over the lives of our seamen, have proved an insuperable obstacle to
the prosecution of such enterprises. It was reserved for Captain
Cook to shew the world, by repeated trials, that voyages might be
protracted to the unusual length of three, or even four years, in
unknown regions, and under every change and rigour of climate, not
only without affecting the health, but even without diminishing the
probability of life in the smallest degree. The method he pursued has
been fully explained by himself in a paper which was read before
the Royal Society in the year 1776;[2] and whatever improvements the
experience of the present age has suggested, are mentioned in their
proper places.

[Footnote 2: Sir Godfrey Copley's gold medal was adjudged to him on
this occasion.]

With respect to his professional abilities, I shall leave them to
the judgment of those who are best acquainted with the nature of the
services in which he was engaged. They will readily acknowledge, that,
to have conducted three expeditions of so much danger and difficulty,
of so unusual a length, and in such a variety of situation, with
uniform and invariable success, must have required not only a
thorough and accurate knowledge of his business, but a powerful and
comprehensive genius, fruitful in resources, and equally ready in the
application of whatever the higher and inferior calls of the service
required.

Having given the most faithful account I have been able to collect,
both from my own observation and the relations of others, of the death
of my ever-honoured friend, and also of his character and services,
I shall now leave his memory to the gratitude and admiration of
posterity; accepting with, a melancholy satisfaction, the honour which
the loss of him hath procured me, of seeing my name joined with his;
and of testifying that affection and respect for h