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 - Page 335

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From New Guinea to Batavia
Sept 1770
much too far from New Guinea I found the So. part of these to lay in the Lat.de 7°6' So. Long.de 225°'.0'West
Thursday 6th. A steady fresh gale at EbS. & clear wea.r with which we steer'd [?]. At 7 in the evening we took in the small sails. reef'd the topsails & sounded has of 50 fa.m we still kept WSW all night going W the rate of 41/2 miles an hour. at 10 had 42 fa.m at 11:37 & at 12 oClock 45. 1 oClock 49 & at 3:120 after which we could get no ground in the evening we caught 2 boobies which settled upon the rigging & these were the first of the kind we have caught in this manner the voyage altho' I have heard of them being caught this way in great numbers. At day in the morning we made all the sail we could & at 10 oClock saw land extending from NNW to WbN distant 5 or 6 Leag.s. at Noon it bore from N.o to W & about the same distance out Lat.de by onserv.on was 8°:16'S. Longitude 227.'47W.
[margin] Timor Land[/margin]
This land is of an even & miserable height & by our run from New Guinea ought to be a part of the Arrow Isles, but it lays a degree farther to the So. than any of these islands are laid down in the charts we sounded but had no ground with 50 fa.om of line.
Friday 7th. As I was not able to satisfy myself from any chart what land it was we sail'd to leeward of us & fearing it might bend away more southerly & the weather being hazey so that we could not see far we steer'd SW. which course by 4 oClock run us out of sight of the land, by this I was assurred that no part of it lay to the southward of 8°15'S. We continued standing to the SW all night under an easey sail having the advantage of a fresh gale at SEbE & ESE & clear moonlight we sounded every hour but had no bottom with 100 & 120 fa.m of line At daylight in the morning we steer'd WSW & afterward WbS, which by noon brought us into the Latitude of 9°:30' S & Long.de 229°:34'W & by our run from New Guinea ought to be in sight of Wessels Isle which according to the charts is laid down about 20 or 25 leagues from the coast of New Holland, but we saw nothing by which I conclude that it is wrong laid down & this is not to be wonder'd as when we consider that not only these islands but the lands which bound this sea have been discover'd & explored by diff.t people & at diff.t times & compiled & put together by others, perhaps some ages after the first discoveries were made. Navigation formerly wanted many of there helps toward keeping an accurate journal which the previous age is possessed of. it is not they that are wholly to blame for the faultiness of the charts but the compilers & publishers who publish to the world the nice sketches of the navigator as accurate surveys without telling what authority they have for so doing for where they to do this we should then be as good or better judges than they & know where to depend upon the charts & where not. neither can I clear seaman

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