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21 May 1770
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21 May 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

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21 May 1770

Monday 21st. In the PM we kept along the East side of the shoal untill 2 oClock when judging that there was water for us over I sent a boat a head to sound and upon her making the signal for more than 5 fathoms we hauld our wind and stood over the tail of it in 6 fathom.   at this time we were in the Latitude of 24°..22' and Sandy Cape bore S1/2E distant 8 Leagues. but the diretion of the Shoal is nearest NNW and SSE. At the time we had 6 fathom the boat which was not above a quarter of a mile to the southd of us had little more than 5 fathom - from 6 fathom we had the next cast 13 and then 20 emmediatly as fast as the men could heave the lead from this I did suppose that the west side of the shoal is pretty steep too whereas on the other side we had gradual sounding from 13 to 7 fathom. This Shoal I call'd Break Sea Spit, be cause now we had smooth water whereas upon the whole Coast to the Southrd of it we had allways a high sea or swell from ye SE.

At 6 oClock the Land of Sandy Cape extending from South 17° East to South 27° East distance 8 Leagues, depth of water 23 fathom which depth we kept all night as we stood to the westward with light airs from the southward - but between 12 and 4 AM we had it calm after which a gentle breeze sprung up at South with which we still kept on upon a wind to the westward. At 7 oClock we saw from the Mast head the Land of Sandy Cape      bearing SE1/2E distant 12 or 13 Leagues - At 9 we discovered ^from ye Mast head land to the westward and soon after saw smooks upon it    our depth of water was now decreased to 17 fathom and by Noon to 13, at which time we were by observation in the Latitude of 24°..28' and about 7 Leagues from the land which extended from SBW to WNW distant off the nearest part      Leagues Longitude made from ^Sandy Cape 0°..45' West —

For these few days past we have seen at times a sort of Sea fowl we have no where seen before that I remember, they are of that sort called Boobies ——

before to day we seldom saw more than 2 or 3 at a time and only when we was were near the land.   last night a small flock of these birds pass'd the Ship and went away to the NW and this morning ^from half an hour before sun rise to half an hour after flights of them were continualy coming from the NNW and flying to the SSE and not one was seen to fly in any other dire[c]tion   from this we did suppose that there was a Lagoon, River or Inlet of shallow water to the southward of us where these birds resorted to in the day to feed and that not very far to the northward lay some Island where they retired to in the night —


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© Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 240, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17700521.html