Whilst at Deptford, the rig of the Grenville was altered from schooner to brig, as Cook thought that her sailing qualities would be improved by the change, and she also received a thorough overhaul.  In the previous year her armament had been supplied from the flagship, and of course had to be returned, so now she was established with “6 swivel guns, 12 Musquets, and powder and shot” of her own, and her crew was augmented to twenty, including a midshipman and a carpenter’s mate, paid as on board a sixth rate.  Isaac Smith, Mrs. Cook’s cousin, afterwards Admiral, who lived with her at Clapham, was the midshipman.  On 25th March 1765 the Grenville again left for Newfoundland, arriving at St. Lawrence Harbour on 2nd June to recommence her work.  On 14th July, whilst “moored in a bay by Great Garnish, we picked up two men who had been lost in the woods for near a month.  They came from Barin, intending to go to St. Lawrence Harbour, and were almost perishing for want of subsistence.”  Going into Long Harbour, 23rd July, the Grenville ran on a rock and remained so fast that she had to be unloaded before she could be floated off the next day, when she was found to have suffered considerable damage to her forefoot.

From the log of the Grenville it appears that the survey was not carried out continuously, and this may be accounted for by the fact that the Governor was being called upon to settle disputes with the French fishermen, who were only too apt to place the broadest construction on the treaty rights accorded to them.  It is very possible that Cook, during this year, rendered assistance to Captains Debbieg and Bassett, engineers, who were engaged in surveying important points and harbours with a view to fortification, and Pallisser had been instructed to give them every help.  There is no positive record that Cook did assist, but his ship was several times engaged near where they were at work, and it seems very reasonable to suppose that he worked with them, especially as such work might be very important to both parties.

Cook returned to Spithead on 30th November, and from thence to Deptford for the winter, and in February obtained permission from the Admiralty to publish the charts he had completed; Captain Pallisser, who made the application, said he was of opinion that they “would be of great encouragement to new adventurers on the fisheries upon those coasts.”

Eclipse of the sun.

He again left Deptford on 20th April 1766, and arrived at Bon Bon Bay, 1st June, to survey the south-west and south coasts.  At the Burgeo Islands, near Cape Ray, which were reached on 24th July, Cook was able to take an observation of an eclipse of the sun occurring on 5th August.  On his return to England at the end of the year, he handed the results of his observations to Dr. Bevis, a prominent Fellow of the Royal Society, who communicated them to that body on 30th April 1767, and the account is to be found