I represent James Cook. I was the Master of HMS Alarm, a man-of-war of 683 tons and 32 guns that passed easily over the 21-22 foot depths of the entrance to Pensacola Bay. I was an accomplished shipmaster, surveyor, and cartographer. In the 18th century, the “master” of a ship was responsible for its navigation and operations, including maintaining the rigging and taking observations and notations of position. In a 1777 petition for a land grant, I stated I had been in the province of West Florida since 1765.
Sources: 35, 80