making the observations. The object was accomplished on the 3rd of June, with complete success. On the 13th of July Cook quitted Otaheite, and after visiting the other Society Islands sailed southward in quest of the great continent, which was then supposed to exist in the Pacific ocean. On the 6th of October, he reached New Zealand, but was prevented from exploring it by the hostility of the natives. He then proceeded to New Holland (now Australia), of which he took possession in the name of Great Britain, denominating the eastern coast, which he had explored, New South Wales. He next made for New Guinea, sailing through the strait which now bears his name, and thus proved that Australia and New Guinea were distinct islands. He thence proceeded to Batavia where he was obliged to remain two months and a half to repair his shattered ship. On the 27th of December he quitted this place, the pestilential climate of which proved fatal to many of his crew; and on the 12th of June, 1771, the Endeavour, after encountering many imminent dangers and narrowly escaping shipwreck, anchored safely in the Downs. The results of this voyage, which made vast additions to our scientific and geographical knowledge, excited general and deep interest, and whetted the public appetite for still further discoveries. Shortly after his return Cook was promoted to the rank of commander, and it was resolved to fit out another expedition under his charge, to circumnavigate the whole globe in high southern latitudes, with the view of solving the much-agitated question of the existence of a southern continent. Two vessels, the Resolution of 460 tons, and the Adventure of 336, with a complement in all of 193 men, were accordingly commissioned for this purpose, and sailed on the 13th of July, 1772. Captain Cook reached the Cape of Good Hope on the 30th of October, and quitting it on the 22nd of November made his traverses, as instructed, in the high latitudes in the Southern ocean, but without discovering any traces of the terra incognita. He therefore shaped his course for New Zealand, which he reached, March 26th, 1773, after having been 117 days at sea, and traversed 3160 leagues. After spending the winter months (our summer) among the Society Islands, Captain Cook resumed in November his search for the southern continent, to the eastward between the 60th and 70th parallels of latitude; and on the 30th of January reached the latitude of 71° 10´ south, where he was finally stopped by the ice. He then returned southward, and navigating the southern tropic from Easter Island to the New Hebrides, discovered the large island which he called New Caledonia. After refreshing his crew at New Zealand, he traversed the Pacific in still higher latitudes in quest of the desired continent, but without effect; and giving up all hope of finding any considerable land in these latitudes, he turned homewards, and anchored at Spithead on the 30th of July, 1774, after an absence of three years and eighteen days. He was received with marked honours, was immediately raised to the rank of post-captain and appointed captain of Greenwich hospital; and soon after he was elected a member of the Royal Society, and received the Copley gold medal for the best experimental paper of the year. The remarkable success of the methods he had employed for preserving the health of his men during this voyage, attracted universal attention, and contributed greatly to his high reputation as a navigator. His own journal of this voyage is written in a plain and manly style, which does equal credit to his ability and his good sense. During the absence of Captain Cook in the southern ocean, the attention of the government had been turned towards the discovery of a north-west passage, from the north Atlantic to the north Pacific oceans, and it was resolved that an expedition should be fitted out for this purpose. Although Captain Cook had well earned a right to repose after so many years of labour and anxiety, he promptly volunteered his services to conduct the expedition. His offer was at once gladly accepted. Two vessels were accordingly fitted out for the exploratory voyage and placed under his care, namely, his old ship, the Resolution, and the Discovery, under the command of Captain Clarke. His instructions were, to reverse the usual course of arctic voyagers, and to proceed first to the Pacific, revisiting the chain of newly-discovered islands and disseminating among them a variety of useful animals, which he carried with him for that purpose. He was next to turn northwards along the western coast of America as far as latitude 65°, and then to endeavour to find a passage to the Atlantic by the high northern latitudes between Asia and America. The requisite preparations having been made, the Resolution quitted Plymouth on the 12th July, 1776, and the Discovery followed soon after. They reached the Friendly Islands in the spring of 1777; and after remaining there for several months, Captain Cook set sail for the north in January, 1778. On his way he discovered a group to which he gave the name of the Sandwich Islands, after the nobleman who was then at the head of the Admiralty. He reached the coast of America on March 7th; and following the coast line to the extreme northern point of the Pacific, he explored the deep bay afterwards known as Cook's Inlet, but without discovering the expected passage. He then made sail for Behring's Strait, but on reaching latitude 70° 41´ (August 18) he was stopped by an impenetrable wall of ice.
Returning to winter at the Sandwich Islands, he discovered Mowee and Owhyhee, at the latter of which his adventurous career was suddenly cut short by a tragical death. During the night of February 13, 1779, the cutter of the Discovery was stolen, and Cook went ashore next day to try to recover it. He put in practice his usual expedient of seizing the king of the island, with the intention of detaining him on board his ship till the stolen article was restored. On his return to the boats a scuffle ensued with the natives, and the marines were compelled to fire in self-defence. Cook, who was the last person to retire, was separated from his men, surrounded by a crowd of savages, and, in spite of a vigorous resistance, was at length overpowered and killed. His body was left in the possession of the natives, and the bones only were subsequently recovered and committed to the deep with the usual honours. The intelligence of this melancholy event was received, not in Britain only but throughout all Europe, with general lamentation; high honours were paid to his memory, and a pension was settled upon his widow and children. An account of his third voyage from his own journal, continued by Lieutenant King, was published at the expense of government.—J. T.
COOKE, John, M.D., an intelligent and highly-educated physician who practised in London in the beginning of the present century. He was elected physician to the general dispensary, Aldersgate Street, the first institution of the kind established in London, and afterwards became physician to the London hospital. Here he delivered regular courses of lectures on the practice of medicine, which duty, in connection with the physiciancy to the hospital, he held for fifteen years. His health declining, his labours became restricted to private practice, in which he was very successful. Dr. Cooke received the fellowship of the college of physicians in 1809. In 1819 he was appointed to deliver the Croonian lectures at the college, and he chose for his subject, "The Nervous System." In 1830 he delivered the Harveian oration in a powerful and admirable address. He was a fellow of the Royal Society, of the Society of Antiquaries, and during the years 1822-23, president of the Medico-chirurgical Society. He died on the 1st January, 1838, having arrived, it is supposed, at the advanced age of eighty-six or eighty-seven years.—E. L.
COOKE, Robert, organist and master of the choristers of Westminster abbey, the son of Dr. Benjamin Cooke, was a composer of considerable ability. In addition to some clever glees and other secular music, especially a song in imitation of Purcell, which he wrote expressly for Bartleman, he produced an evening service in C, which has been printed; and an anthem beginning, "I looked, and lo! a Lamb stood on Mount Sion." He was unfortunately drowned in the Thames in the year 1814.—E. F. R.
COOKE, Thomas, a musician, was born in Dublin in 1782, and died in London, 31st March, 1848. His precocious talent for his art was first cultivated by his father, a musician by profession, and he was afterwards taught composition by Giordani. When very young for the office, he was engaged as music director and leader of the band at the Dublin theatre, where, also, he first appeared as a vocalist in the pasticcio opera of The Siege of Belgrade. He came to London as principal tenor at the English Opera house, and was engaged in the same capacity at Drury Lane theatre for several years. Retiring afterwards from the stage, except for the performance of certain special characters, he officiated as music director, composer, and leader, at this latter establishment for a long period, and, alternately, at Drury Lane and Covent Garden, until Mr. Macready retired from management in 1843. He was more distinguished for his prompt facility, both in composition and performance, than for particular excellence in either; though the great popularity of many of his productions, and the important offices he filled
