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. 278

[Page 278]
New South Wales oe East Coast of New Holland
June 1770 
fast. Immediately upon this we took in all our Sails, hoisted out the Boats & founded round the the ship & found that we had got upon the SEt Edge of a reef a Coral Rocks having in some places round the ship 3 & 4 faom Water & in other places not quite as many feet & about a Ships length from us on our starboard side of the Ship laying with her Head to the NEt were 8. 10 & 12 faom as soon as the Long bt was out we struck our Yards & Topmst & carried out the Stream Anchor on our starboard bow, got the Casting Anchor & Cable into the Boat & were going to carry it out the same way but but upon my sounding the 2d time round the Ship I found the most water astern & therefore had this anchor carried out upon the Starboard Quartr, & hove upon it a very great Strain which was to no purpose the Ship being quite fast upon which we went to work to lighten her as fast as possible which seem'd to be the only means we had left to get her off, as we went ashore about the Top of High Water, we not only started water but threw overbd our Guns.  Iron & Stone Ballast, Casks, Hoops, Stone, Oil Jarrs, decay'd Stores etc many of these last Articles lay in the way at coming at Heavyer, all this time the Ship made little or no Water, at 11 AM it being high Water as we thought we try'd to heave her off without Sweeps, she not being afloat by a foot or more notwithstanding by this time we had thrown overbd 40 or 50 Tuns weight, ([written in margin] She makes Water) as this was not found sufficient we continued to lighten her by every method we could think off, as the Tide fell the Ship began to make Water as much as two Pumps could free at Noon she lay with 3 or 4 Streakes heel to Starboard. Latitude observed 15o:45' So

Tuesday 12th. Fortunately we had little wind fine wear & a smooth Sea all the 24 Hours which in in the AM gave us an Oppy to carry out the 2 Bower Anchors one on the Starbd Quarter & the other right astern got Blocks & Tackles upon the Cables brot the falls in abaft & hove taught by this time it was 5 o'clock PM, the tide we observed now begun to rise & the leak increased upon us which obliged us to set the 3d Pump to work as we should have done the 4th also but could not make it work, at 9 the Ship righted & the Leak gain'd upon the Pumps considerably, however I resolved to risque all & heave her off in case it was practical & accordingly turn'd as many hands to the Capston & Windlass ([written in margin] The Ship got off the Rocks) as could be spared from the Pumps & abt 20 Minutes past 10 o'clock the Ship floated & we hove her into Deep Water having at this time 3 feet 9 Inches Water in the hold this done I sent her Long boat to take up the Stream Anchor, got the Anchor but lost the Cable among the Rocks after this turn'd all hands to the Pumps the  leak