Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World
having sounded about the Ship, and found that their was Sufficient Water
for her over the Shoal, we at 3 o'clock weigh'd and made Sail, and stood
to the Westward as the Land lay, having first sent a boat ahead to sound.
At 6 we Anchor'd in 10 fathoms, Sandy bottom, about 2 Miles from the Main
Land, the Westermost part of which bore West-North-West, having still a
Number of Islands in sight a long way without us. At 5 a.m. I sent away
the Master with 2 Boats to sound the Entrance of an inlet, which bore
from us West, distance about 1 League, into which I intended to go with
the Ship to wait a few days, until the Moon increased, and in the
meantime to examine the Country. By such time as we had got the Ship
under Sail the Boats made the Signal for Anchorage, upon which we stood
in with the Ship, and Anchor'd in 5 fathoms, about a League within the
Entrance of the inlet, which we judged to be a River running a Good way
inland, as I observed the Tides to flow and Ebb something considerable.*
(* It is in reality a narrow channel which runs into Broad Sound.) I had
some thoughts of laying the Ship a Shore to Clean her bottom. With this
view both the Master and I went to look for a Convenient place for that
purpose, and at the same time to look for fresh Water, not one drop of
which we could find, but met with several places where a Ship might be
laid ashore with safety.
[At Anchor, Thirsty Sound.]
Wednesday, 30th. In the P.M. I went again in search of Fresh Water, but
had no better success than before; wherefore I gave over all thoughts of
laying the Ship a Shore, being resolved to spend as little time as
possible in a place that was likely to afford us no sort of refreshment.
But as I had observed from the Hills the inlet to run a good way in, I
thought this a good time to penetrate into the Country to see a little of
the inland parts. Accordingly I prepared for making that Excursion in the
morning, but the first thing I did was to get upon a pretty high Hill,
which is at the North-West entrance of the inlet, before Sunrise, in
order to take a view of the Sea Coast and Islands, etc., that lay off it,
and to take their bearings, having the Azimuth Compass with me for that
purpose, the Needle of which differ'd from its True position something
very considerable, even above 30 degrees, in some places more, and in
other less, for I try'd it in several places. I found it differ in itself
above 2 points in the space of about 14 feet. The loose stones which lay
upon the Ground had no effect upon the Needle; I therefore concluded that
it must be owing to Iron Ore upon the Hill, visible signs of which
appeared not only here, but in several other places. As soon as I had
done here I proceeded up the inlet. I set out with the first of the
flood, and long before high water got about 8 Leagues up it; its breadth
thus far was from 2 to 4 or 5 Miles upon a South-West by South direction;
but here it spread every way, and formed a Large lake, which communicated
with the Sea to the North-West. I not only saw the Sea in this direction,
but found the tide of flood coming strong in from the North-West. I
likewise observ'd an Arm of this Lake extending to the Eastward, and it
is not at all improbable but what it Communicates with the Sea in the
bottom of the bay, which lies to the Westward of Cape Townshend.* (* This
is exactly what it does.) On the South side of the Lake is a ridge of
pretty high hills, which I was desirous of going upon; but as the day was
far spent and high water, I was afraid of being bewilder'd among the
Shoals in the night, which promised to be none of the best, being already
rainy, dirty weather, and therefore I made the best of my way to the
Ship. In this little Excursion I saw only 2 people, and those at a
distance, and are all that we have seen in this place, but we have met
with several fire places, and seen smokes at a distance. This inlet,
which I have named Thirsty Sound, by reason we could find no fresh Water,
lies in the Latitude of 22 degrees 05 minutes South, and Longitude 210
degrees 24 West; it may be known by a Group of small Islands Laying under
the shore from 2 to 5 Leagues North-West from it.* (* Barren Islands.)
There is likewise another Group of Islands laying right before it between
3 and 4 Leagues out at Sea.* (* Duke Islands.) Over each of the Points
that form the Entrance is a pretty high, round Hill; that on the
North-West is a Peninsula, surrounded by the Sea at high water; the
distance from the one to the other is about 2 Miles bold to both Shores.
Here is good Anchoring in 7, 6, 5, and 4 fathoms water, and very
Convenient places for laying a Ship ashore, where at Spring Tides the
tides doth not rise less than 16 or 18 feet, and flows at full and Change
of the Moon about 11 o'Clock. We met with no fresh water, or any other
kind of refreshments whatever; we saw 2 Turtle, but caught none, nor no
sort of Fish or wild fowl, except a few small land birds. Here are the
same sort of Water Fowl as we saw in Botany Bay, and like them, so shy
that it is hardly possible to get within shott of them. No signs of
Fertility is to be seen upon the Land; the Soil of the up lands is mostly
a hard, redish Clay, and produceth several sorts of Trees, such as we
have seen before, and some others, and clear of all underwoods. All the
low lands are mostly overrun with Mangroves, and at Spring tides
overflow'd by the Sea; and I believe in the rainy Seasons here are large
land floods, as we saw in many places Gullies, which seem'd to have been
made by torrents of Water coming from the Adjacent hills, besides other
Visible signs of the Water having been a Considerable height above the
Common Spring Tides. Dr. Solander and I was upon a rising Ground up the
inlet, which we thought had at one time or another been overflow'd by the
Sea, and if so great part of the Country must at that time been laid
under Water. Up in the lakes, or lagoons, I suppose, are shell fish, on
which the few Natives subsist. We found Oysters sticking to most of the
Rocks upon the Shore, which were so small, as not to be worth the picking
off.* (* Cook was very unfortunate in his landing here. The channel is at
the end of a long headland between two bays, Shoalwater Bay and Broad
Sound, and was a very unlikely place either to find water or get any true
idea of the country.)
Thursday, 31st. Winds Southerly and South-East; Dark, Hazey weather, with
rain. In the P.M., finding no one inducement to stay longer in this
place, we at 6 a.m. Weighed and put to Sea, and stood to the North-West,
having the Advantage of a fresh breeze at South-South-East. We keept
without the Group of Islands which lay in Shore, and to the North-West of
Thirsty Sound, as there appear'd to be no safe passage between them and
the Main; at the same time we had a number of Islands without us
extending out to Sea as far as we could see; as we run in this direction
our depth of Water was 10, 8 and 9 fathoms.* (* The ship passed between
the Duke Islands and the maze of reefs and islands lying North-West of
Thirsty Sound.) At Noon the North-West point of Thirsty Sound, which I
have named Pier head, bore South 36 degrees East, distant 5 Leagues; the
East point of the other inlet, which Communicates with the former, as I
have before mentioned, bore South by West, distance 2 1/2 Leagues, the
Group of Islands above mentioned laying between us and the point. The
farthest part of the Main in sight, on the other side of the inlet, bore
North-West; our Latitude by Observation was 21 degrees 53 minutes South.
[June 1770.]
Friday, June 1st. At 1/2 an hour After Noon, upon the Boat we had ahead
sounding making the Signal for Shoal Water, we hauld our wind to the
North-East, having at that time 7 fathoms; the Next cast 5, and then 3,
upon which we let go an Anchor, and brought the Ship up. The North-West
point of Thirsty Sound, or Pier Head, bore South-East, distance 6
Leagues, being Midway between the Islands which lies off the East point
of the Western inlet and 3 Small Islands directly without them,* (* The
shoal is now known as Lake Shoal. The three Islands are the Bedwell
Islands.) it being now the first of the flood which we found to set
North-West by West 1/2 West. After having sounded about the Shoal, on
which we found not quite 3 fathoms, but without it deep water, we got
under Sail, and hauld round the 3 Islands just mentioned, and came to an
Anchor under the Lee of them in 15 fathoms, having at this time dark,
hazey, rainy weather, which continued until 7 o'Clock a.m., at which time
we got again under sail, and stood to the North-West with a fresh breeze
at South-South-East and fair weather, having the Main land in Sight and a
Number of Islands all round us, some of which lay out at Sea as far as we
could See. The Western Inlet before mentioned, known in the Chart by the
Name of Broad Sound, we had now all open. It is at least 9 or 10 Leagues
wide at the Entrance, with several Islands laying in and before, and I
believe Shoals also, for we had very irregular Soundings, from 10 to 5
and 4 fathoms. At Noon we were by Observation in the Latitude of 21
degrees 29 minutes South, and Longitude made from Cape Townshend 59
degrees West. A point of Land, which forms the North-West Entrance into
Broad Sound, bore from us at this Time West, distance 3 Leagues; this
Cape I have named Cape Palmerston* (* Henry Viscount Palmerston was a
Lord of the Admiralty, 1766 to 1778.) (Latitude 21 degrees 27 minutes
South, Longitude 210 degrees 57 minutes West). Between this Cape and Cape
Townshend lies the Bay of Inlets, so named from the Number of Inlets,
Creeks, etc., in it.* (* The name Bay of Inlets has disappeared from the
charts. Cook applied it to the whole mass of bays in this locality,
covering over 60 miles. A look at a modern chart causes amazement that
Cook managed to keep his ship off the ground, as the whole sea in his
track is strewed with dangers.)
[Off Cape Hillsborough, Queensland.]
Saturday, 2nd. Winds at South-South-East and South-East, a gentle breeze,
with which we stood to the North-West and North-West by North, as the
land lay, under an easey Sail. Having a boat ahead, found our Soundings
at first were very irregular, from 9 to 4 fathoms; but afterwards
regular, from 9 to 11 fathoms. At 8, being about 2 Leagues from the Main
Land, we Anchor'd in 11 fathoms, Sandy bottom. Soon after this we found a
Slow Motion of a Tide seting to the Eastward, and rode so until 6, at
which time the tide had risen 11 feet; we now got under Sail, and Stood
away North-North-West as the land lay. From the Observations made on the
tide last Night it is plain that the flood comes from the North-West;
whereas Yesterday and for Several days before we found it to come from
the South-East. This is neither the first nor second time that we have
observed the same thing, and in my Opinion easy accounted for; but this I
shall do in another place. At sun rise we found the Variation to be 6
degrees 45 minutes East. In steering along shore between the Island and
the Main, at the Distance of 2 Leagues from the Latter, and 3 or 4 from
the former, our soundings were Regular, from 12 to 9 fathoms; but about
11 o'Clock we were again embarrassed with Shoal Water,* (* Blackwood
Shoals.) but got clear without letting go an Anchor; we had at one time
not quite 3 fathoms. At Noon we were about 2 Leagues from the Main land,
and about 4 from the Islands without us; our Latitude by Observation was
20 degrees 56 minutes South, Longitude made from Cape Palmerston 16
degrees West; a pretty high Promontory, which I named Cape Hillsborough,*
(* Earl of Hillsborough was the First Secretary of State for the
Colonies, and President of the Board of Trade when the Endeavour sailed.)