At this point all the writers on Captain Cook have been led into error by following the lead of Dr. Kippis.  Everyone (with the single exception of Lord Brougham, who by an evident slip of the pen puts him on board the Mersey) writes that he was appointed Master of H.M.S.  Mercury, and that he joined the fleet of Admiral Saunders in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the time of the capture of Quebec in that ship.  From the Public Records it has been ascertained that the Mercury was not in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with Saunders, but in the latter half of 1759 was sent to New York, thence to Boston, and was at Spithead in April the following year.  The same source also shows that not only was the Circumnavigator never on board the Mercury in any capacity, but in all probability he never even saw her.  He is also said to have been Master’s mate on the Pembroke, and Dr. Kippis has him appointed to three different ships on three consecutive days:  the Grampus, but she sailed before Cook could join her; the Garland, but she was found to have a Master when Cook joined; and, lastly, the Mercury.

The explanation of this confusion as far as the Mercury is concerned (the rest was imagination) is that there was a second James Cook in the service, who was appointed Master of the Mercury under a warrant dated 15th May 1759 and entered on his duties immediately.  He was with his ship at Sheerness on 12th July, at which time his namesake was before Quebec.  On the return of the Mercury from Boston her Master was returned for some time as “sick on shore,” and on 11th June 1760 was superseded by one John Emerton.  Soon after he was appointed third lieutenant of the Gosport, his commission bearing date 1st April 1760, that is before he left the Mercury.  He was with his new ship at the recapture of St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1762, with John Jervis, afterwards Lord St. Vincent, as his Captain.  In 1765 he was on the Wolf on the Jamaica station, and was selected by Admiral Burnaby to carry despatches to the Governor of Yucatan.  This duty he successfully carried out, and in 1796 published a pamphlet describing his adventures during the journey.  On his return to England he applied to the Duke of Newcastle for the command of a cutter, and the letter is now in the British Museum, having been included in a collection in mistake for one written by his celebrated namesake.  There is a certain similarity in the writing, but in the signature he writes the Christian name as Jas, whilst Captain Cook usually wrote Jams.  The Mercury Cook was lieutenant of the Speedwell in 1773, and having had some property left him in Jersey he received leave of absence in August.  He never rose above lieutenant, and disappears from the Navy List after July 1800.

A manuscript log kept by James Cook whilst Master’s mate of the Eagle is now in the possession of Mr. Alexander Turnbull of Wellington, New Zealand.

CHAPTER 3. 1757 TO 1759.  H.M.S.  PEMBROKE.