19 December 1769

James Cook's Journal: Daily Entries

Table of Contents On this day ... 19 December 1769 Endeavour Voyage Maps James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia Joseph Banks's Journal Sydney Parkinson's Journal Other Accounts ... • 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...

19 December 1769 Tuesday 19th The Wind still continues at West. PM a moderate breeze and clear weather    At 7 Tacked in 35 fathom water, the point of land before mentioned bore NWBN distant 4 or 5 miles, having not gained one Inch to windward this last 24 hours which is a great proof that there must be a Current seting to the Eastward. The Point of land above mentioned I have call'd North Cape judgeing it to be the northern most extremity of this Country — it lies in the Latitude of 34°..22' So and Longd 186°..55' West from Greenwich ^and N 63°: West 31 Leagues from C. Brett   It ^forms the north point of Sandy Bay and is a Peninsula juting out NE about 2 Miles and terminates in a bluff head which is flat at top; the Isthmus which joins this head to the Main land is very low on which account the land of the Cape from several situations make like an Island. It appears still more remarkable when to the southward of it by ^the appearence of a high round Island at the SE point of the Cape.   but this is likewise a deception being a round hill join'd to the Cape by a low narrow neck of land. On the SE side of the Cape is a Bay wherein there appears to be Anchorage, and where ships must be coverd from S.W. and N.W. winds. We saw a Heppa or Village upon the Cape and some few inhabitants. In the night had some squalls attended with rain which obliged us to take a nother reef in our topsails. At 8 AM tack'd and stood in shore and being moderate loos'd a reef out of each topsail and set the small sails. At Noon was we were in the Latitude of 34°.. 2' So and being hazey over the land we did not see it — Voyaging Accounts © Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 166, 2004 Published by kind permission of the Library To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17691219.html