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 279
You are here
Primary tabs
Transcription
New Wales or East Coast of New Holland
[?] 1770
Leak increasing upon us but before 8am the pumps gain'd upon the leak we now hove up the BrBr. but found it impossible to save the small Bower so cut it away at a whole cable. got up the fore topm.st & foreyard warped the ship to the SE. & at 11 got under sail & stood in for the land with a light breeze at ESE. some hands empl.d sewing Oacham wool etc into a lower steerg sail to fother the ship others employ'd at the pumps which still gain'd upon the leak
Wednesday 13th
[margin] Further the ship what stops her leaks[/margin]
i the p, had light airs at ESE with which we keept edging in for the land got up the maintopm. & main yard & hovg starb.d Fore chains where we suspected the ship had suffer'd most & soon after the leak decreased so as to be keept clear with one pump with ease this fortunate circumstance gave new life to everyone onb.d. In justice to the ships company I must say that no men ever behav'd better than they have done on this occasion, animated by the behaviour of every gentlem.n onb.d every man seem'd to have a just sence [sense] of the danger we were in & exerted himself to the very utmost. the ledge of rocks or shoal we have been upon lies in the Lat.d of 15°:45' & an.t 6 or 7 Leag.s from the main land but this is not the only shoal that lay upon this part of the coast especially to the northward & one which we saw to the Southw.d the tail of which we passed over. when we had the uneven sound.gs 2 hours before we struck a part of this shoal is always above water & looks to be white sand. part of the one we were upon was dry at low water & in that place consists of sand & stones but every where else coral rocks. at 6 we anch.d in 17 fa.om ab.t 5 or 6 leag.s from the land & one from the shoal & this time the ship made about 15 inch.s water of hour. At 6am weigh'd & stood to the NW. edging in for the land having a gentle breeze at SSE. 9 we past close with.n 2 small low islands laying in the Lat.de of 15°41' & about 4 leag.es from the main I have named them Hope Islands because we were always in hope of being able to reach these islands, at Noon we were about 3 leag.es from the land & on the Lat.de of 15°.37' So. the northernm.st part of the main in sight bore N30°W & the above islands extend from So.30E to So40E in this situation had 12 fa.ms water & sm.l sandbanks with out us. the leak now decreaseth but for fear it should break out again we got