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26 August 1770
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James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia
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The authorised published account of Cook's Voyage by John Hawkesworth
1770
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26 August 1770
Sunday 26th Fresh breezes at East. In standing to the NW we began to Shoalden our water from 9 to 7 fathom, and at half past one o'Clock ^having run 11 Miles sence noon the boat which was ahead made the signal for shoal water, immediatly upon which we let go an Anchor and brought the Ship up with the sails standing as the boat was but a little way having but ^just releived the crew and at the same time we saw from the Ship shoal water ^in a manner all round us and both wind and Tide seting upon it ^we lay in 6 fathom with the Ship but upon sounding about the Ship we ^her found hardly 2 fathom water avery rocky bottom not much above half a Cables length from us from the East round by the North and West as far as SW, so that there was no way to get clear but the way we came: This was one of the many fortunate escapes we have had from Ship wreck for it was near high-water and there run on he a short cockling sea that would soon have beat bulged the Ship to had she struck, these shoals that lay a fathom or 2 fathm under water are the most dangerous of any for they do not shew themselves untill you are close upon them ^and than the water upon them looks brown like ye refection of dark Clowds Between 3 and 4 oClock the Ebb began to make when I sent the Master to sound to the South ward and SW ward and in the Mean time as the Ship tended hove up the anchor and with a little sail stood to the southward and afterwards edged away to the west ward and got once more out of danger where ^at sun set we anchord in a 10 fm water sandy bottom having a fresh of wind at ESE At 6 oClock in the Morning we weighd and Stood west with a fresh of wind at East, having first sent a boat ahead to sound. I did intend to have steer'd NW untill we had made the South Coast of New Guinea, designing if Possible to touch upon that Coast, but the meeting with these Shoals last night made me alter the Course to west in hopes of meeting with fewer dangers and deeper water and this we found for by Noon we ^had deepen'd our water gradually from 10 to 17 fathom and this time we were by observation in the Latitude of 10° 10' South, Longde 220°..192' West Course and distance sail'd sence yesterday at Noon N.76° Wt a 11 Leagues - No land in sight —
© Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 302, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17700826.html
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