When George III. ascended the throne of England, civilisation and knowledge had made so great a progress as to give the interests of science some weight even in the calculations of politicians. The young monarch himself had conceived a strong partiality for geographical studies, and his desire to distinguish his reign by the glory of important discoveries was encouraged by his ministers from motives of a less disinterested nature.

During the wars which had lately agitated Europe, the privateers of the hostile nations cruising in the south seas had woeful experience of the hazardous character of that distant navigation. The French, having suffered much from the maritime superiority of the English, and having been totally expelled from their settlements in Canada, began to look about them for some mode of counterbalancing these losses, and of securing their mercantile interests in case of a future war. The establishment of a colony, at the Falkland Islands, which might serve as a resting place for ships destined to the Pacific Ocean, was some time in contemplation. The cruisers from St. Malo having named those islands Malouines, from their native town, seemed to have thereby established a vague kind of right to the possession of them.

If the voyage of captain Parry did not lead to the discovery of the north-west passage, it was at least productive of information of an encouraging description. There could be no doubt that he had discovered straits communicating with the Polar Sea, and through which his progress was barred by accumulations of ice, which, in all probability, occasionally break up, and allow a free passage. The opinion of the old navigators, that the northern portion of America is broken land, or rather a cluster of large islands, was rendered still more probable; and as but little was as yet known of the northern shores of Hudson's Bay, it was hoped that some inlet might be there found communicating with the Northern Sea, and in which, from its more southerly situation, navigation might be continued for a longer portion of the year.

The Hecla had answered so well on her former voyage, that the Fury, a similar ship, was prepared to attend her on the second one. Improvements were made in the internal fittings of the vessels. Charred cork was placed between the sides of the ships and the internal lining of plank, as a security against the cold; and a simple but well contrived apparatus for distributing heated air was fixed in each ship.

The close of the eighteenth century was distinguished for an extraordinary ardour in the pursuit of geographical discoveries. Navigation had assumed a boldness which naturally gave an impulse to geographical enquiries; and while our ships visited the remotest parts of the globe, it seemed disgraceful that we should still remain in ignorance of the interior of Africa. To promote discovery in this quarter, a society was formed in 1778, and named the African Association. Its object was to employ persons of enterprise and intelligence to explore those unknown countries; supplying them with funds, and directing the movements in such a way as to lead to the most advantageous results. With the formation of this society begins a new era in the history of African discovery.

The first person despatched by the Association was Ledyard, who had attempted, as before noticed, to travel over land to Kamtschatka with the intention of proceeding across the American continent to the United States. He arrived at Cairo in August, 1778, and employed himself for some time in collecting information from the dealers in the slave-markets at Cairo, and in making himself acquainted with the manners of the people. He was ready to proceed by a caravan to Sennaar, whence he intended to go westward towards the Niger, when he was seized with a bilious complaint, which terminated his life.

On the 8th of December our voyagers left Borabora, and lost sight of the Society Islands; their course was towards the north, and, on the 18th of January, in lat. 21° N., land was discovered, which proved to be an island of considerable size, and beyond it two others successively became visible. As the ships approached the second island, a number of canoes came off from the shore, and the English were no less pleased than surprised to hear the natives speaking the language of Otaheite. When they came on board, they expressed their astonishment at the numerous strange objects that met their eyes with more lively emotions than captain Cook had ever yet witnessed among savage nations. They did not appear to be quite ignorant of iron, yet the wonder and surprise they displayed at every thing they saw left little room to doubt that they were wholly unacquainted with Europeans. When captain Cook went on shore, the people fell flat on their faces before him, as if rendering homage to a superior being. The island was amply provided with the necessaries of life; pigs, fowls, and fruits were purchased advantageously; and captain Cook made an important addition to the natural wealth of the island, by putting on shore some of his live stock. Among other articles brought by the natives for trade were cloaks and helmets, beautifully made with red and yellow feathers. These islanders were not inferior to the inhabitants of the more southerly groups in ingenuity or friendliness of disposition.