29 August 1770

James Cook's Journal: Daily Entries

Table of Contents On this day ... 29 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...

29 August 1770 Wednesday 29th Continued standing to the northward with a fresh gale at EBS, and SE untill 6 oClock having Very errigular and uncertain soundings from 24 to 7 fathom - At 4 oClock we made the Land from the Mast head bearing NWBN and which appeard to be very low - at 6 it extended from WNW to NNE distant 4 or 5 Leagues, at this time hauld close upon awind to the Eastward untill 7 oClock than Tack'd and stood to the southward untill 12 at which time we wore and stood to the Northward untill 4 than lay her head off untill day-light when we again saw the land and stood in NNW directly for it haveing a fresh gale at EBS. Our Soundings in the night were from 17 to 5 fathom very erregular without any sort of rule with respect to the Land to our distance from the land - At 1/2 an hour past 6 oClock a small low Island laying about a League from the Main bore NBW distant 5 Miles, this Island lies in the Latitude of 8°.13' St Longde 221°..25' West. I find it laid down in the Charts by the name of St Bartholomeo or Wleermoysen. We now steer'd NWBW, WNW, WBN, WBS and SWBW as we found the land to lay, having a boat ahead of the Ship sounding depth of water from 5 to 9 fathom - when in 7, 8 and 9 fathom we could but just see the land from the deck, but I did not think we were at Most above 4 Leagues off because the land is exceeding low and level and appear'd to be well cover'd with wood, one sort appear'd to us to be Cocoa-nutt trees. By the Smooks we saw in different parts as we run along shore we were assured that the Country is in habited - At Noon we were about 3 Leagues from the land, the westermost part of which th^at we could see bore St 79° Wt.   our Latitude by observation was 8°..19' St Longitude 221°..44' West. The Island St Bartholmeo bore Nt 74° East distant 20 Mile — Voyaging Accounts © Transcription by Paul Turnbull of National Library of Australia, Manuscript 1 page 303, 2004 Published by kind permission of the Library To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook/17700829.html