5 August 1770

James Cook's Journal: Daily Entries

Table of Contents On this day ... 5 August 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...

5 August 1770 Sunday 5th In the PM had a gentle breeze at SE and clear weather, As I did not intend to weigh untill the Morning I sent all the boats to the reef to get what Turtle and shell fish they could. At Low-water from the Mast head I took a view of the shoals and could see several laying a long way without this one   apart of several of them appearing above water, but as it appear'd pretty clear ^of Shoals away to the NE of the turtle reef, I came to a resolution to stretch out ^that way close upon a wind, because if we found no passage we could always return back the way we went. In the evening the boats returnd with one turtle a sting-ray and as many large Clams as came to one and a half ^pound a man, in each of these Clams were about two pounds of meat added to this we caught in the night several Sharks. Early in the morning I sent the Pinnace and Yawl again to the reef as I did not intend to wiegh untill half Ebb at which time the Shoals began to appear, before 8 oClock it came on to blow and I made the signal for the boats to come on board which they did and brought with them one turtle. We afterwards attempted began to heave, but the wind freshing obliged us to bear away again and lay fast — Voyaging Accounts © Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 273, 2004 Published by kind permission of the Library To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17700805.html