As soon as information was received in England that an expedition had been sent from France, the Admiralty despatched a squadron under Captain Pallisser in pursuit, and as it arrived in St. John’s only four days after M. de Ternay left, they must have been very close to a meeting.

Cook meets cook.

Whilst the movements leading up to the recapture of St. John’s were being carried on, communication between Colville and Amherst was kept up by the boats of the fleet under the charge of the third lieutenant of H.M.S.  Gosport, Mr. James Cook, formerly Master of H.M.S.  Mercury, who performed this duty to the complete satisfaction of Lord Colville as signified in his despatches to the Admiralty.  It is certain, therefore, that the two namesakes must have come face to face here, and most probably previously in Halifax Harbour.

Entering St. John’s Harbour on 19th September, the flagship remained till 7th October, during which time Cook was very busily employed in assisting to place the island in a better state of defence.  In a despatch of Lord Colville’s, dated “Spithead, 25th October 1762,” he says: 

“I have mentioned in another letter, that the fortifications on the Island of Carbonera were entirely destroyed by the enemy.  Colonel Amherst sent thither Mr. Desbarres, an engineer, who surveyed the island and drew a plan for fortifying it with new works:  when these are finished the Enterprise’s six guns will be ready to mount on them.  But I believe nothing will be undertaken this year, as the season is so far advanced, and no kind of materials on the spot for building barracks or sheds for covering the men, should any be sent there.  Mr. Cook, Master of the Northumberland, accompanied Mr. Desbarres.  He has made a draught of Harbour Grace and the Bay of Carbonera, both of which are in a great measure commanded by the Island, which lies off a point of land between them.  Hitherto we have had a very imperfect knowledge of these places, but Mr. Cook, who was particularly careful in sounding them, has discovered that ships of any size may lie in safety both in Harbour Grace and the Bay of Carbonera.”

Mr. Desbarres’s design for the fortification of Carbonera, drawn by John Chamberlain, dated 7th April 1763, is to be found in the British Museum; he was afterwards Governor of Cape Breton.

On the return of the Northumberland to Spithead, where she arrived on 24th October, her Master, James Cook, was discharged, the Muster Roll merely noting “superseded” on 11th November, and the pay sheet records the deductions from his wages as:  “Chest, 2 pounds 1 shilling 0 pence; Hospital, 1 pound 0 shillings 6 pence.  Threepence in the pound, 3 pounds 14 shillings 9 pence,” leaving a balance due of 291 pounds 19 shillings 3 pence.  He also received from Lord Colville for the Secretary to the Admiralty the following letter which shows the estimation he was held in by his immediate superiors, and would doubtless be of weight when the appointment of a man to execute greater undertakings came under the consideration of their Lordships.