James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 280

[Page 280]

New Wales oe East Coast of New Holland
June 1770
got the Sail ready fill'd for fothering the manner this is done is this we mix Oacham & wool together (but Oacham alone would do) & chop it up Small & then [Indecipherable] it loosely by handfuls all over the Sail & then over it Sheeps dung or other filth, Horse Dung for this purpose is the best the sail thus purposed is hauld under the Ships bottom by ropes & if the place of the Leak is uncertain it must be hauld from one part of her bottom to another until! one find the place wher it takes effect, while the Sail is under the Ship the Oacham etc is washed off & part of it carried along with the water into the Leak & in part stops up the hole, Mr Munkhouse one of my Midshipmen was once in a Mercht Ship which sprung a Leak & made 48 Inches water/hour but by this means was brot home from Virginea to London with only her proper crew, to him I gave the direction of this who executed it very much to my satisfaction.

Thursday 14th. ([written in margin] Note This day I restored Mr Magra to his Duty as I did not find him guilty of the crimes laid to his charge)
PM had a gentle breeze at SEbEt sent the Master with 2 Boats as well to sound ahead of the Ship as to look out for a Harbour where we could repair our defects & put the Ship in a proper Trim, both of which she now very much wanted, at 3 saw an Opning that had the appearance of a Harbour stood off & on while the Boats were examining it who found that there was not a sufficient Depth of Water for the Ship by this time it was almost sun set & seeing many shoals about us  we Anchd in 4 fam about 2 Miles from the Shore the Main Land extending from N½E to SbE½Et. at 2 o'clock the Pinnace in which was one of the Mates return'd onbd & reported that they had found a good Harbour about 2 Leags to leeward, in consequence of this information we at 6AM weighd & run down to it first sendg 2 Boats ahead to lay upon the Shoal that lay in our way & notwithstandg this precaution we were once in 3 fam with the Ship, having pass'd the Shoals the Boats were sent to lay in the Channel leadg into the Harbour by this time it begun to blow in so much that the Ship would not work having missed stays twice & being entangled among the Shoals I was afraid of being drove to Seaward before the Boats could place themselves & therefore Anchd in 4 fam about a Mile from the Shore & then made the Signal for the Boats to come onbd after which I went myself & [Indecipherable] the Channell which I found very narrow & the Harbour much smaller than I had been told but very convenient for our purpose. At Noon Latde observd 15°:26' So
Friday 15th. A fresh Ge [?gale] [Indecipherable] Et & cloudy wear attended with with Showers of Rain in the Night as it blow'd too fresh to break the Ship loose, to run into the Harbr we got down Topgallt yds [Indecipherable] the Main Sail & some of the Small Sails got down the Foretopgallt ony & the Jibb Boom & [Indecipherable] yard in, intending to lighten the Ship Forwd as much as possible in order to lay her as [Indecipherable] to