Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World
and Eagle Isle. After I got on board the Master inform'd me he had been
down to the Islands I had directed him to go too, which he judged to lay
about 3 Leagues from the Main, and had sounded the Channel between the 2,
found 7 fathoms; this was near the Islands, for in with the Main he had
only 9 feet 3 Miles off, but without the Islands he found 10, 12, and 14
fathoms. He found upon the islands piles of turtle shells, and some finns
that were so fresh that both he and the boats' crew eat of them. This
showed that the natives must have been there lately. After well
considering both what I had seen myself and the report of the Master's, I
found by experience that by keeping in with the Mainland we should be in
continued danger, besides the risk we should run in being lock'd in with
Shoals and reefs by not finding a passage out to Leeward. In case we
persever'd in keeping the Shore on board an accident of this kind, or any
other that might happen to the ship, would infallibly loose our passage
to the East India's this Season,* (* In November the wind changes to the
North-West, which would have been a foul wind to Batavia.) and might
prove the ruin of both ourselves and the Voyage, as we have now little
more than 3 Months' Provisions on board, and that at short allowance.
Wherefore, after consulting with the Officers, I resolved to weigh in the
morning, and Endeavour to quit the Coast altogether until such time as I
found I could approach it with less danger. With this View we got under
sail at daylight in the morning, and stood out North-East for the
North-West end of Lizard Island, having Eagle Island to windward of us,
having the pinnace ahead sounding; and here we found a good Channell,
wherein we had from 9 to 14 fathoms. At Noon the North end of Lizard
Island bore East-South-East, distant one Mile; Latitude observed 14
degrees 38 minutes South; depth of water 14 fathoms. We now took the
pinnace in tow, knowing that there were no dangers until we got out to
the Reefs.* (* From the 13th to the 19th the language used in Mr.
Corner's copy of the Journal is quite different from that of the
Admiralty and the Queen's, though the occurrences are the same. From
internal evidences, it appears that Mr. Corner's copy was at this period
the first written up, and that Cook amended the phrases in the other fair
copies.)
[Pass Outside Barrier Reef, Queensland.]
Tuesday, 14th. Winds at South-East, a steady gale. By 2 P.M. we got out
to the outermost reefs, and just fetched to Windward of one of the
openings I had discover'd from the Island; we tacked and Made a short
trip to the South-West, while the Master went in the pinnace to examine
the Channel, who soon made the signal for the Ship to follow, which we
accordingly did, and in a short time got safe out. This Channel* (* Now
known as Cook's Passage.) lies North-East 1/2 North, 3 Leagues from
Lizard Island; it is about one-third of a Mile broad, and 25 or 30
fathoms deep or more. The moment we were without the breakers we had no
ground with 100 fathoms of Line, and found a large Sea rowling in from
the South-East. By this I was well assured we were got with out all the
Shoals, which gave us no small joy, after having been intangled among
Islands and Shoals, more or less, ever since the 26th of May, in which
time we have sail'd above 360 Leagues by the Lead without ever having a
Leadsman out of the Chains, when the ship was under sail; a Circumstance
that perhaps never hapned to any ship before, and yet it was here
absolutely necessary. I should have been very happy to have had it in my
power to have keept in with the land, in order to have explor'd the Coast
to the Northern extremity of the Country, which I think we were not far
off, for I firmly believe this land doth not join to New Guinea. But this
I hope soon either to prove or disprove, and the reasons I have before
assign'd will, I presume, be thought sufficient for my leaving the Coast
at this time; not but what I intend to get in with it again as soon as I
can do it with safety. The passage or channel we now came out by, which I
have named, ----* (* Blank in MS.) lies in the Latitude of 14 degrees 32
minutes South; it may always be found and known by the 3 high Islands
within it, which I have called the Islands of Direction, because by their
means a safe passage may be found even by strangers in within the Main
reef, and quite into the Main. Lizard Island, which is the Northermost
and Largest of the 3, Affords snug Anchorage under the North-West side of
it, fresh water and wood for fuel; and the low Islands and Reefs which
lay between it and the Main, abound with Turtle and other fish, which may
be caught at all Seasons of the Year (except in such blowing weather as
we have lately had). All these things considered there is, perhaps, not a
better place on the whole Coast for a Ship to refresh at than this
Island. I had forgot to mention in its proper place, that not only on
this Island, but on Eagle Island, and on several places of the Sea beach
in and about Endeavour River, we found Bamboos, Cocoa Nutts, the seeds of
some few other plants, and Pummice-stones, which were not the produce of
the Country. From what we have seen of it, it is reasonable to suppose
that they are the produce of some lands or Islands laying in the
Neighbourhood, most likely to the Eastward, and are brought hither by the
Easterly trade winds. The Islands discover'd by Quiros lies in this
parrallel, but how far to the Eastward it's hard to say; for altho' we
found in most Charts his discoveries placed as far to the West as this
country yet from the account of his Voyage, compared with what we
ourselves have seen, we are Morally certain that he never was upon any
part of this Coast.* (* The Island of Espiritu Santo, in the New
Hebrides, which Quiros discovered, lies 1200 miles to the eastward, and
New Caledonia, from which these objects might equally have come, is 1000
miles in the same direction.) As soon as we had got without the Reefs we
Shortened sail, and hoisted in the pinnace and Long boat, which last we
had hung alongside, and then stretched off East-North-East, close upon a
wind, as I did not care to stand to the Northward until we had a whole
day before us, for which reason we keept making short boards all night.
The large hollow sea we have now got into acquaints us with a
Circumstance we did not before know, which is that the Ship hath received
more Damage than we were aware of, or could perceive when in smooth
Water; for now she makes as much water as one pump will free, kept
constantly at work. However this was looked upon as trifling to the
Danger we had lately made an Escape from. At day light in the morning
Lizard Island bore South by West, distant 10 Leagues. We now made all the
sail we could, and stood away North-North-West 1/2 West, but at 9 we
steer'd North-West 1/2 North, having the advantage of a Fresh Gale at
South-East; at Noon we were by observation in the Latitude of 13 degrees
46 minutes South, the Lizard Island bore South 15 degrees East, distant
58 Miles, but we had no land in sight.
Wednesday, 15th. Fresh Trade at South-East and Clear weather. At 6 in the
evening shortned sail and brought too, with her head to the North-East.
By this time we had run near 12 Leagues upon a North-West 1/2 North
Course since Noon. At 4 a.m. wore and lay her head to the South-West, and
at 6 made all Sail, and steer'd West, in order to make the land, being
fearful of over shooting the passage, supposing there to be one, between
this land and New Guinea. By noon we had run 10 Leagues upon this Course,
but saw no land. Our Latitude by observation was 13 degrees 2 minutes
South, Longitude 216 degrees 00 minutes West, which was 1 degree 23
minutes to the West of Lizard Island.
[Ship in Danger, Outside Barrier Reef.]
Thursday, 16th. Moderate breezes at East-South-East and fair weather. A
little after Noon saw the Land from the Mast head bearing
West-South-West, making high; at 2 saw more land to the North-West of the
former, making in hills like Islands; but we took it to be a Continuation
of the Main land. An hour after this we saw a reef, between us and the
land, extending away to the Southward, and, as we thought, terminated
here to the Northward abreast of us; but this was only on op'ning, for
soon after we saw it extend away to the Northward as far as we could
distinguish anything. Upon this we hauld close upon a Wind, which was now
at East-South-East, with all the sail we could set. We had hardly trimm'd
our sails before the wind came to East by North, which made our
weathering the Reef very doubtful, the Northern point of which in sight
at sun set still bore from us North by West, distant about 2 Leagues.
However, this being the best Tack to Clear it, we keept standing to the
Northward, keeping a good look out until 12 at night, when, fearing to
run too far upon one Course, we tack'd and stood to the southward, having
run 6 Leagues North or North by East since sun set; we had not stood
above 2 Miles to the South-South-East before it fell quite Calm. We both
sounded now and several times before, but had not bottom with 140 fathoms
of line.* (* The description which follows, of the situation of the ship,
and the occurrences until she was safely anchored inside the Barrier
Reef, is from the Admiralty copy, as it is much fuller than that in Mr.
Corner's.) A little after 4 o'clock the roaring of the surf was plainly
heard, and at daybreak the Vast foaming breakers were too plainly to be
seen not a mile from us, towards which we found the ship was carried by
the Waves surprisingly fast. We had at this time not an air of Wind, and
the depth of water was unfathomable, so that there was not a possibility
of anchoring. In this distressed Situation we had nothing but Providence
and the small Assistance the Boats could give us to trust to; the Pinnace
was under repair, and could not immediately be hoisted out. The Yawl was
put in the Water, and the Longboat hoisted out, and both sent ahead to
tow, which, together with the help of our sweeps abaft, got the Ship's
head round to the Northward, which seemed to be the best way to keep her
off the Reef, or at least to delay time. Before this was effected it was
6 o'clock, and we were not above 80 or 100 yards from the breakers. The
same sea that washed the side of the ship rose in a breaker prodidgiously
high the very next time it did rise, so that between us and destruction
was only a dismal Valley, the breadth of one wave, and even now no ground
could be felt with 120 fathom. The Pinnace was by this time patched up,
and hoisted out and sent ahead to Tow. Still we had hardly any hopes of
saving the ship, and full as little our lives, as we were full 10 Leagues
from the nearest Land, and the boats not sufficient to carry the whole of
us; yet in this Truly Terrible Situation not one man ceased to do his
utmost, and that with as much Calmness as if no danger had been near. All
the dangers we had escaped were little in comparison of being thrown upon
this reef, where the Ship must be dashed to pieces in a Moment. A reef
such as one speaks of here is Scarcely known in Europe. It is a Wall of
Coral Rock rising almost perpendicular out of the unfathomable Ocean,
always overflown at high Water generally 7 or 8 feet, and dry in places
at Low Water. The Large Waves of the Vast Ocean meeting with so sudden a
resistance makes a most Terrible Surf, breaking Mountains high,
especially as in our case, when the General Trade Wind blows directly
upon it. At this Critical juncture, when all our endeavours seemed too
little, a Small Air of Wind sprung up, but so small that at any other
Time in a Calm we should not have observed it. With this, and the