James Cook wrote this letter to William Hodges, the expedition artist of Cook's last voyage while awaiting the arrival of Charles Clerke. In the letter, Cook compliments Hodges for his drawings, which would become the main art used in Cook's novel.
Early into his naval career, Cook showed a great skill for map making. Realizing this, the Royal navy tasked with mapping the coast of Newfoundland. Cook used advanced mapping tactics to map Newfoundland with such precision that the map Cook made remained relatively unchanged for centuries. This is a segment of the letter James Cook sent to the Royal Society of Britain telling them about his safe return from his first expedition. |