n the British Museum, and the pencil marks on the
chart are as distinct as on the day they were made.

The alterations to the ship were completed early in February, and on the
6th she was hauled out of dock, and rigging, ballasting, and storing
commenced. Cook says:

"Every department seemed to vie with the other in equiping these two
ships, every standing rule and order in the Navy was dispensed with,
every alteration, every necessary and useful article, was granted as soon
as asked for."

SUPPLIES INCREASED.

In another passage he again refers to the anxiety of the Navy Board to
see that the quality of the stores was everything that could be wished,
and the quantity was increased from one to two and a half years' supply.

On the 22nd April the two sloops were at Longreach to take in their guns
and gunners' stores; twelve carriage guns and twelve swivel musketoons
for the Resolution, and ten carriage guns and ten swivels for the
Adventure. These should have been taken on board at Galleon's Reach, but
the Resolution was drawing too much water--seventeen feet. When here Cook
showed that he thought she was rather over-weighted with her new upper
works, and might prove crank, but:

"as the Gentlemen's apartments were full of heavy baggage and the sloop a
good deal lumbered aloft with heavy and some useless articles, which we
might soon get rid of or get into the hold after we had consumed some of
our provisions, I still entertained hopes that she would bear all her
additional works, and suspended giving any other opinion until a full
trial had been made of her, foreseeing what would be the consequence in
case she did not answer in the manner she was now fitted."

On 29th April, Mr. Banks gave an entertainment on board to Lord Sandwich,
the French Ambassador, and other distinguished personages, and Cook notes
that the first named had been on board several times, "a laudable tho '
rare thing in a First Lord of the Admiralty."

Cook obtained a few days' leave to make his final arrangements, and the
Resolution was ordered to the Downs under the first lieutenant, whilst
the Adventure proceeded to Plymouth; both vessels sailing from Longreach
on 10th May. The Resolution, contending against adverse winds, made a
very slow trip down to the Nore, being four days on the journey, and Mr.
Cooper reported to Cook that she was very crank. The latter at once wrote
to the Admiralty that he considered it unsafe to proceed any furth