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. 310

New Wales or East Coast of New Holland

upon which it was immediately & unanimously refolved [resolved] to try to secure the Ship in it which we did not in the least doubt of but as the flood tide was now made & set strong in & the swell set right for it even supposing it Continues Calm indeed it required but very little consideration for this seem'd to be the only Probable means which Providence had pointed out to us to save the Ship together with our Selves. We therefore Turn'd the Ship round for the Opening & soon after a light Air sprung up at ENE which with the help of our Boats & a Flood Tide we soon reached and found a rapid Tide setting right in being got within the Entrance we steer'd thro' the Channel which is full a ¼ of a Mile broad having 2 Boats ahead of us found our depth of water was from 30 to 7 Fm very irregular soundings & foul ground [?] 'til we had got quite within the Reef where we Anchor'd in the 19 fam a Coral & Shelly bottom the channel we came in by I have named Providential Channell bore ENE [Indec.] 10 or 12 Miles being about 8 or 9 Leags. [Leagues] from the Main Land which extended N.°66W.² to SW65. It is but a few days ago that I rejoiced at having got without the Reef, but that joy was nothing when Compared to what I now felt at being safe at an Anchor within it, such is the [Satisfaction?] attending this kind of Service. I must always attend an unknown Navigation where one ventures wholly in the dark without any manner of Guide whatever,
[Margin note] Reflections on the danger attending at unknown Navigation
Was it not for the pleasure which Naturly [naturally] results to a man from his being the first discoverer even was it nothing more than Sand or Shoals this kind of Service would be insurmountable especially in far distant posts like this Short of Provisions & almost every other necefsary [necessary]. People will hardly admit of an excuse for a man leaving a [fact?] unexplored he has once discover'd, if dangers are his excuse he is then charged with Timerousnefs [timorousness] & want of Perserverance, & at once pronounced the most unfittest man in the world to be employ'd as a discoverer, if on the other hand he boldly encounters all the dangers & Obstacles he meets with & is unfortunate enough not to succeed he is then charged with Temerity & perhaps want of Conduct, the former of these Impressions I am confident can never be laid to my Charge, & if I am fortunate enough to surmount all the Dangers we meet with the latter will never be bro't [brought?] in Question, altho' I must own that I have engaged more among these Islands & Shoals upon this Coast than perhaps in prudence I ought to have done with a simple Ship & every other thing considered, but if I had not I should not have been able to give any better account of the one half of it, than if I had never seen it, but I should not have been able to say wether it was Mainland or Island & as to its produce, that we should have been totally ignorant of as being inseparable with the other & in this case it would have been far more satisfaction to one never to have discover'd it, but it is time I should have done with this Subject at best it is but disagreeable & which I was lead into on reflecting on our late Danger.