e came to few places, where either the art of man, or the bounty of
nature, had not provided some sort of refreshment or other, either in
the animal or vegetable way. It was my first care to procure whatever of
any kind could be met with, by every means in my power; and to oblige
our people to make use thereof, both by my example and authority; but
the benefits arising from refreshments of any kind soon became so
obvious, that I had little occasion, to recommend the one, or to exert
the other.
It doth not become me to say how far the principal objects of our voyage
have been obtained. Though it hath not abounded with remarkable events,
nor been diversified by sudden transitions of fortune; though my
relation of it has been more employed in tracing our course by sea, than
in recording our operations on shore; this, perhaps, is a circumstance
from which the curious reader may infer, that the purposes for which we
were sent into the Southern Hemisphere, were diligently and effectually
pursued. Had we found out a continent there, we might have been better
enabled to gratify curiosity; but we hope our not having found it, after
all our persevering researches, will leave less room for future
speculation about unknown worlds remaining to be explored.
But, whatever may be the public judgment about other matters, it is with
real satisfaction, and without claiming any merit but that of attention
to my duty, that I can conclude this account with an observation, which
facts enable me to make; that our having discovered the possibility of
preserving health amongst a numerous ship's company, for such a length
of time, in such varieties of climate, and amidst such continued
hardships and fatigues, will make this voyage remarkable in the opinion
of every benevolent person, when the disputes about a Southern Continent
shall have ceased to engage the attention, and to divide the judgment of
philosophers.
(Tables of the route of the Resolution and the Adventure, the variation
of the compass and meteorological observations during the voyage.)
* * * * *
A VOCABULARY OF THE LANGUAGE OF THE SOCIETY ISLES.
DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE VOCABULARY.
As all nations who are acquainted with the method of communicating their
ideas by characters, (which represent the sound that conveys the idea,)
have some particular method of managing, or pronouncing, the sounds
represented by such characters, this forms a very essential ar
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