PreviousNext
13 October 1769
Previous/Next Page
James Cook's Journal: Daily EntriesVoyaging Accounts
----------
Table of Contents

On this day ...
13 October 1769


Endeavour Voyage Maps

James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia

Joseph Banks's Journal

Sydney Parkinson's Journal

The authorised published account of Cook's Voyage by John Hawkesworth


1769
References

Index
Search

Contact us

Search for Nautical Term in Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine...
13 October 1769

Friday 13th At 1 PM we discoverd land behind or to the Westward of Portland extending to the Southward as far as we could see. In hauling round the south end of Portland we fell into shoal water and broken ground which we however soon got clear of: at this time four Canoes came off to us full of people and kept for sometime under our stern threating of us all the while.  as I did not know but what I might be obliged to send our Boats a head to sound I thought these gentry would be as well out of the way   I order'd a musquet shott to be fired close to one of them, but this they took no notice of.   a four pounder was then fired a little wide of them.   at this they began to shake thier spears and Paddles at us, but notwithstanding this they thought fit to retire —

Having got round Portland we hauled in for the Land NW having a gentle breeze at NE which died away at 5 oClock and obliged us to anchor in 21 fathom water a fine sandy bottom   the South point of Portland bore SE1/2S distant about 2 Leagues and a low point on the Main bore N1/2E     in this last direction there runs in a de[e]p bay behind the Land on which is Table Cape which makes this Land a peninsula joind to the Main by a low narrow neck of land.   the Cape is the North point of the peninsula and Portland the South-    while we lay at anchor two boats came off to us and so near as to take up some things we throw'd them out of the Ship but would not come a long side.   At 5 AM a breeze springing northerly we weigh'd and steer'd in for the land. The shore here forms a very large Bay of which Portland is the NE point and the bay above mentioned is an arm of it. I would gladly have examined this arm because there appear'd to be safe Anchorage in it but as I was not certain of this and the wind being right on end I did not care to spend time in turning up to it      At noon Portland bore So 40° 50° East distant Leagues and the southermost land in sight bore SSW distant 10 or 12 Leagues, being about three miles from the shore and in this situation had 12 fathom water - 24 fathom have been the most water we have met with sence we have been within Portland, every where clear ground —

The land near the shore is of a moderate height with white clifts and sandy beaches - inland are several pretty high mountains and the whole face of the country appears with a very hilly surface and for the most part covered with wood and hath all the appearences of a very pleasent and fertile country —


Previous Page Voyaging Accounts Next Page

© Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 124, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17691013.html