13 October 1769 |
James Cook's Journal: Daily Entries |
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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 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
© 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 |