Page 45

Cook's Descriptions of Places

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Queen Charlottes Sound (continued) a reef of rocks a part of which is above water. This account of the two heads will be found sufficient guide to know this Sound, which is three Leagues b[r]oad at the entrence and lies ^in SWBS, SW and WSW at least 10 Leagues and is a Collection of some of the finest harbours in the world ^and this as will evidently appear from the Plan which was taken with all the accuracy that time and circumstance would admit The one ^harbour or Cove in which we lay call'd Ship Cove is not inferior to any in the Sound both in poi^nt of Securety and other conven conveniences; it lies on the west side of the Sound and ^is the southermost of the three coves lying within Motu-oura, which Island bears due East from it. You may sail into this Cove either between this last mentioned Island and the Isle Hamote or between Motu-oura and the West shore    in this ^last channell are two ledges of rocks 3 fathom under water but they may be known by the Sea weed which grows upon them. In sailing in or out of this Sound with little wind attention must be had to the Tides which flows 9 or 10 oClock at the full and change of the Moon and rises and falls upon a perpendicular 7 or 8 feet. The flood comes in through the Strait f^rom the SE and sets strong over upon the NW head and the reef laying off it, the Ebb sets with great rapidity to the SE over upon the Islands and rocks lying off the SE head. The Variation of the Compass we found from good observations to be 13°. 5' East. The land about this sound is of such height that Voyaging Accounts © Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 184, 2004 Published by South Seas To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/cook_remarks-045