earing that the strangers
were great philosophers, begged to be informed when it would thunder,
and whether a spring of fresh water was to be found anywhere within the
walls of the cloisters.

The _Endeavour_, sighting Teneriffe, reached Rio de Janeiro on the 13th
of November. Here the ignorant Portuguese Governor, jealous of the
expedition, and unable to comprehend its objects, treated the voyagers
with scant courtesy. His only idea was that they were going out to
witness the passing of the north star through the south pole.

On the 11th of January, 1769, Cook came in sight of Tierra del Fuego,
and three days afterwards entered the straits of Le Maire. The
_Endeavour_ anchored in the bay of Good Success, where they met with a
number of the inhabitants, three of whom were induced to come on board,
but showed a remarkable want of interest in all they witnessed. Being
treated, however, in a kind way, they became very friendly, and showed
no fear of their visitors. They were not so low in the scale of
humanity as many voyagers have described them, and probably not less
capable of receiving instruction than other savages. The weather being
fair and mild, on the 16th of January Mr Banks, Dr Solander, Mr
Green, Mr Monkhouse, the surgeon, and Mr Buchan, a landscape painter,
landed to explore the country. After crossing a morass, commencing the
ascent of a mountain, and passing a wooded tract, it being nearly eight
o'clock in the evening, the party were greatly fatigued, while they were
chilled with the intense cold. Though Dr Solander had kept saying,
"Whoever sits down will sleep, and whoever sleeps will wake no more," he
himself was the first to insist on resting, and it was with the greatest
difficulty his companions could get him on. He and a black man were at
length allowed to recline against some bushes for about five minutes,
but even during that short period his limbs became so numbed that he
could hardly move. The rest of the party had gone on, and had succeeded
in lighting a fire, towards which the Doctor was dragged, but it was
found impossible to rouse the black, who was left in charge of another
black and one of the seamen named Richmond. The snow came on and fell
incessantly for two hours.

Mr Banks dispatched some persons to look for Richmond and the blacks,
but they were unable to find them. About midnight a cry was heard, and
the seaman was discovered standing, but unable to move, while one of th