. . use your utmost endeavors to pass
through." The commission shows that England was unaware Spain had
pushed north of 45 degrees, and Russia north of 65 degrees; for Spain
jealously kept her explorations secret, and Russia's were not accepted.
The commission also offered a reward for any one going within 1 degree
of the Pole. It may be added--the offer is still open.
For days after leaving the Sandwich Islands, not a bird was to be seen.
That was a bad omen for land. Land must be far, indeed; and Cook began
to fear there might be as much ocean in that northern hemisphere as the
geographers of Russia and France--who actually tabulated Bering's
discoveries as an island--had placed on the maps. But in the first
week of March, a sea-gull came swimming over the crest of a wave.
Where did she come from? Then an albatross was seen wheeling above the
sea. Then, on March 6, two lonely land seals went plying past; and
whales were noticed. Surely they were nearing the region that Drake,
the English freebooter, had seen and named New Albion two hundred years
before.
Pages:
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251