Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World
his Excellency that I was ready to produce my Commission. Rain the most
part of this Day.
Tuesday, 22nd. Moderate breezes, with frequent Showers of Rain. Employed
getting on board Water, Provisions, etc. Caulking the Ship and repairing
the Sails.
Wednesday, 23rd. Fine pleasant weather. Employed as before and setting up
the Rigging. This day I received from the Vice-Roy an Answer to my last
Memorial, wherein he still keeps up his Doubts that she is not a King's
Ship, and accuseth my people of Smuggling, a thing I am very Certain they
were not guilty of, and for which his Excellency could produce no proof,
notwithstanding many Artful means were made use of to tempt such of our
People as were admitted ashore to Trade by the Very Officers that were
under His Excellency's own Roof. I thought it incumbent on me to Answer
this Memorial, in which I desir'd His Excellency to take into Custody any
one of my People that should be found trading even if it amounted to no
more than one of the Sailors selling his Cloaths from off his Back for a
Bottle of Rum--for what His Excellency called smuggling I was very
certain amounted to no more, and even this was only Suspicions of my own.
Thursday, 24th. This day a Spanish Packet (a Small Brig) from Buenos
Ayres put in here in her way to Spain. This Vessel belonged to his
Catholic Majesty, and notwithstanding the Vice-Roy had all along
pretended that the orders he had respecting Foreign Vessels were General,
yet this Vessel meet with very Different Treatment from us. No Guard was
put over her, and her Officers and Crew went wherever they pleased.* (*
The build and general appearance of the Endeavour not being that of a
man-of-war, the Portuguese authorities entertained suspicions regarding
her true character, which is not altogether surprising, considering the
times; but we can well understand Cook's indignation.)
Friday, 25th, Saturday, 26th. Employed getting on board Water as fast as
the Coopers could set up and repair the Casks, setting up the rigging and
Caulking the Ship's sides.
Sunday, 27th. Bent the Sails and Cleaned the Ship Fore and Aft.
Monday, 28th. Fine pleasant weather. The Caulkers having finished the
sides, paid them with Tar. This day I unexpectedly received an Answer
from my last Memorial, wherein were only a few weak Arguments to support
His Excellency's Suspicions that the Ship did not belong to the King, and
that my People Smugled. This Memorial I answered.
Tuesday, 29th. Employed Lashing the Casks that were on the upper Deck and
between Decks and making ready for Sea.
Wednesday, 30th. Punished Robert Anderson, Seaman, and William Judge,
Marine, with 12 Lashes Each, the former for leaving his Duty ashore and
attempting to desert from the Ship, and the latter for using abusive
language to the Officer of the Watch, and John Reading, Boatswain's Mate,
with 12 lashes for not doing his Duty in punishing the above two Men.
Sent a Shore to the Vice-Roy for a Pilot to Carry us to Sea, who sent one
on board together with a Large Boat, which I did not want, but it is the
Custom in this Port for the Pilots to have such a Boat to attend upon the
Ship they Pilot out, and for which you must pay 10 shillings per day,
besides the Pilot's fees, which is Seven pounds four Shillings Sterling.
[December 1768.]
Thursday, 1st December. Wind at South-East, which hinder'd us from
Sailing as we intended. Received on board a large Quantity of fresh Beef,
Greens and Yams for the Ship's Company.
Friday, 2nd. This morning sent a Packet for the Secretary of the
Admiralty on board the Spanish Pacquet, containing copies of all the
Memorials and Letters that have passed between the Vice-Roy and me, and
likewise another Packet containing Duplicates thereof I left with the
Vice-Roy to be by him forwarded to Lisbon. At 9 Weighed and came to Sail
and turned down the Bay. Peter Flower, Seaman, fell overboard, and before
any Assistance could be given him was drowned; in his room we got a
Portugue.
Saturday, 3rd. First part, moderate breezes at South-East; remainder,
fresh Gales at South with Rain. At 1 p.m. Anchored in 18 fathoms Water in
the Great Road (see Plan).
Sunday, 4th. Fore and Middle parts fresh Gales at South-South-East with
heavy rain; Latter, Variable Light Airs and fair weather. Hoisted in the
Long-boat and secured her.
Monday, 5th. First part, little wind and Cloudy; Middle, Thunder,
Lightning and Rain; latter, little wind at South-West and fair. At 4 a.m.
Weighed and tow'd down the Bay (being Calm) with an intent to go to Sea,
but having 2 Shott fired at us from Santa Cruze Fort was obliged to come
to an Anchor and to send a Boat to the Fort to know the Reason of their
firing, who it seems had no orders to let us pass, without which no Ship
can go to Sea. This surprized me not a little, as I had but this very
morning received a very Polite Letter from the Vice-Roy (in answer to one
I had wrote some days ago), wherein he wishes me a good voyage. I
immediately dispatched a petty Officer to the Vice-Roy to know the reason
why we was not permitted to pass the Fort; the Boat very soon return'd
with an order to the Captain of the Fort to let us pass, which Order had
been wrote some Days Ago, but either by Design or neglect had not been
sent. At 11 weighed in order to put to Sea, but before we could heave up
the Anchor, it got hold of a Rock, where it held fast in spite of all our
endeavours to Clear it until the Sea Breeze set in.
Tuesday, 6th. The Sea breeze continued all this day. At 2 p.m. the Ship
tended to the Wind, which cleared the Anchor. Hove it up and run higher
up the Bay and Anchored in 15 fathoms, a little below the Isle or Church
of Bon Voyage; found the cable very much rubbed several fathoms from the
Anchor.
Wednesday, 7th. First and latter part a Genteel breeze at South-East and
East; the Middle, Calm. At 5 a.m. weighed and tow'd out of the Bay; at 8
Discharged the Pilot and his Boat. A breeze of Wind Springing up Easterly
made Sail out to Sea, and sent a boat to one of the Islands laying before
the Bay to cut Brooms, a thing we was not permitted to do while we lay in
the Harbour; the Guard Boat which had constantly attended all the time we
lay in the Bay and Harbour did not leave us until the Pilot was
discharged. At noon the Sugar Loaf at the west Entrance of the Bay bore
North by West 1/2 West, distance, 8 or 9 miles.
[Description of Rio Janeiro.]
A DESCRIPTION OF THE BAY OR RIVER OF RIO DE JANEIRO.
The few days' delay we met with in getting out of Rio de Janeiro gave me
an opportunity of Drawing a Plan or Sketch of great part of the Bay, but
the Strict watch that was kept over us during our whole stay hinder'd me
from taking so accurate a Survey as I wisht to have done, and all the
Observations I could make was taken from on board the Ship. This Plan
hath no pretensions to accuracy, yet it will give a very good idea of the
place, differing not much from the truth in what is Essential.
The Bay of Rio de Janeiro, by some called a River--which its Name
Signifies--but this I think is improper, it being nothing more than a
Deep inlet of the Sea, into which no considerable fresh water River
Emptys itself that I could hear of. Be this as it will, it is Capacious
and Capable of Containing a vast Number of Shipping where they may ride
in perfect Security. The Entrance is Situated West by North 18 Leagues
from Cape Frio, and may be known by a remarkable Hill in the Form of a
Sugar Loaf, at the West Entrance of the Bay; but as all the Coast is
exceeding high, terminating at the top in Peaked Hills, it is much better
known by the Islands laying before it, one of which (called Rodonda) is
high and round in form of a Hay Stack, and lies South by West 2 1/2
leagues from the Sugar Loaf or Entrance of the Bay. A little without the
East Entrance of the Bay, and near the shore, lay 2 Islands near each
other: 3 leagues from the Eastward and 4 miles from the Shore are 2 low
Rocky Islands, which are the first you meet with in coming from the
Eastward or from Cape Frio.
To sail into Rio de Janeiro there is not the least Danger until you are
the length of the Fort of Santa Cruze, which stands on the point that
forms the East Entrance of the Bay or River; on the West Entrance is Fort
Lorio, built upon a Rock which lies close to the Main Land, the distance
from one Fort to the other is 3/4 of a mile East and West, but the
Channel for Shipping is not quite so broad by reason of Sunken Rocks
laying off each of the Forts; these rocks may not be properly placed in
the plan, being only laid down from the information of the Pilot. The
Narrowness of the Channell here causeth the Tides both Flood and Ebb to
run pretty strong, insomuch that you cannot Stem it without a fresh
breeze of Wind, nor is it safe Anchoring because the bottom is foul and
Rocky. By keeping in the Middle of the Channell you will not only avoid
being forced to come to an Anchor, but all other Dangers. Being got
within the entrance your Course up the Bay is North by West 1/2 West and
North-North-West something more than one League; this brings you the
length of the great Road, and North-West and West-North-West one league
more carrys you the length of the Ilha dos Cobras, which lies before the
City. Keep the North side of this Island close on board and Anchor above
it in 5 fathoms of water, where you see most Convenient before the
Monastery of Benedictines, which stands upon a hill at the North-West End
of the City. Small Ships and Vessels generally lay between the Town and
the Ilha dos Cobras, but in order to get there they must come round the
North side of the Island.
I shall now give the best description I can of the Different Forts that
are Erected for the Defence of the Bay. The first you meet with coming in
from Sea is a Battery of 22 Guns, seated in the Bottom of a sandy Bay,
which is on the South side of the Sugar Loaf, and can be designed for no
other use than to hinder an Enemy from landing in that valley, from
whence I suppose they may March up to the Town or round by the West side
of the Sugar Loaf to attack the Forts that are on that side of the
Entrance into the Bay, the first of which is Seated under the foot of the
Sugar Loaf on a low Isthmus which joyns the Peninsula or point of the Bay
with the Land of the Sugar Loaf. It appears to be a square of Stone Work
without a Ditch, with Bastions and furnished with Cannon. A little within
this fort are 2 battrys of 5 or 6 Guns each. They are designed to play
upon Shipping, but neither these battrys or the Fort are out of reach of
a Ship's Cannon. Hard by these batterys stands Fort Logie. It is an
irregular hexagon, built of Stone upon a Small Rock standing at the west
Entrance of the Bay, and is surrounded on all Sides by the Sea. It is
mounted with 14 or 15 guns, which are placed so as to play upon Shipping
going in and out of the Harbour. There is only one way to go into it,
which is by Steps Leading up to a Sally Port on the North-West side.
Opposite this is the Fort of Santa Cruze, built upon a low rocky point
that forms the East Entrance of the Bay. It hath the Appearance of a
Regular Fortification of Stone Work built upon the Slope of the Rock, on
which account there are in some places 2 Tier of Guns. It hath no Ditch
but on the Land side, where it is cut out of the Rock; in every other
part the Sea washes up to its Walls. It seems everywhere to be well
Mounted with Cannon Except on the land side, where none are wanting,
because they could be of no use, the land being so very high above it.
Yet, after all, neither this Fort nor those on the opposite shore do not
appear to be of any great Strength, even against Shipping, for which they
are wholly design'd, being the key of the Bay. They lay low, and Ships