20 April 1770

James Cook's Journal: Daily Entries

Table of Contents On this day ... 20 April 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...

20 April 1770 Friday 20th In the PM and most part of the night had a fresh gale westerly with squals attended with showers of rain    In the AM had the wind at SW with serene weather. At 1 PM saw three water spouts at once, two were between us and the shore and one at some distance upon our Larboard quarter - At 6 oClock shortned sail and brought too for the night having 56 fathom a fine sandy bottom, the Northermost land in sight bore NBE1/2E and a small Island Iying close to a point on the Main bore west distant 2 Leagues - this point I have named Cape Howe, it may be known by the Trending of the Coast which ^is north on the one side and SW on the other / Latitude 37°..28' So Longde 210°..3' West / it may ^likewise be known by some round hills upon the Main just within it. Having brought too with her head off shore we at 10 oClock wore and lay her head in untill 4 AM at which time we made sail along Shore to the Northward - At 6 oClock the northermost land in sight bore North being at this time about 4 Leagues from the land. At Noon we were in the Latitude of 36°..51' So and Longitude of 209°..53' West ^and 3 Leagues from ye land Courses saild ^along shore sence yesterday at noon was first No 52° East 30 Miles than NBE and NBW 41 Miles The weather being clear gave us an oppertunity to View the Country which had a very agreeable and promising Aspect the land is of moderate height diversified with hills, ridges, planes and Vallies with some few small lawns, but for the most part the whole was cover'd with wood, the hills and ridges rise with a gentle slope, they are not high neither are there many off them - Voyaging Accounts © Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 224, 2004 Published by kind permission of the Library To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17700420.html