9 March 1770

James Cook's Journal: Daily Entries

Table of Contents On this day ... 9 March 1770 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 1770 Index Search Contact us Search for Nautical Term in Falconer's Dictionary of the Marine...

9 March 1770 Friday 9th PM winds at North a gentle breeze and clear weather. Stood to the westward untill sun set at which time the extremes of the land bore from NBE to West distant about 7 or 8 Leagues ^depth of water 55 fm. Variation by the Ampd 16°.29' Et The wind now veer'd to the westward and as the weather was fine and Moon light we kept standing close upon a wind to the SW all night: at 4 AM sounded and had 60 fm At day light we discover'd under our lee bow a ledge of rocks / on which the sea broke very high / extend from SBW to WBS and not above 3/4 of a Mile from us, yet upon sounding we had 45 fm water a rocky bottom. The wind being at N.W. we could not weather the Ledge and ^as I did not care to run to Leeward we tacked and made a trip to the Eastward, but the wind soon after coming to north inabled us to go clear of all     our soundings in passing within the Ledge was from 35 to 47 fm a rocky bottom - This Ledge lies SE Six Leagues from the southermost part of the land and SEBS from some remarkable hills which stand near the Shore. These rocks are not the only dangers that lay here for about three leagues to the northward of them is a nother ledge of rocks laying full three Leagues from the land whereon the sea broke very high, as we pass'd these rocks in the night at no great distance and discover'd the others close under our lee at day light it is apparent that we had a very fortunate escape ^I have named them the Traps because they lay as such to catch unweary strangers — At Noon our Latitude by Observation was 47°..26' So Longde made from Cape Saunders 3°..4' Wt The land in sight / which has very much the appearence of an Island / extending from NEBN to NWBW distant from the shore about 4 or 5 Leagues - the eastermost Ledge of rocks bore SSE distant 11/2 Leagues and Northermost NE 1/2E 3 Leagues. This land is of a moderate height and hath avery barren Aspect, not a tree to be seen upon it only a few small shrubs. There were several white patches on which the Suns rays reflected very strongly which I take to be a kind of Marble such as we have seen in ma^ny places of this country, particularly to the northward — Voyaging Accounts © Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 198, 2004 Published by kind permission of the Library To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17700309.html