Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0305
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[Page 305]
301.
June 1770. Endeavours River
Before night the ship was lightned & we observd with great pleasure that the springs which were now beginning to lift rose as high as we could wish
21. Fine clear weather began today to lay Plants in sand. by night the ship was quite clear & in the nights tide (which we had constantly observd to be much higher than the days) we hauld her ashore
22. In the morn I saw her leak which was very large in the middle was a hole large enough to have sunk a ship with twice our pumps but here providence had most visibly workd in our favour for it was in great measure pluggd up by a stone which was as big as a mans fist round the Edges of this stone had all the water come in which had so near overcome us & here we found the wool & oakum or fothering which had releivd us in so unexpected a manner. the effects of the Coral rock upon her bottom is dificult to describe but more to beleive it had cut through her plank & deep into one of her timbers smoothing the gashes still before it so that the whole might easily be imagind to be cut with an axe. Myself employd all day in laying in Plants, the People who were sent to the other side of the water in order to shoot Pigeons saw an animal as large as a grey hound of a