On this day ...
25 - 27 April 1770
Endeavour Voyage Maps
James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia
Transcript of Cook's Journal
Joseph Banks's Journal
Sydney Parkinson's Journal
The Run from New Zealand to Botany Bay
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At three in the morning, we made sail again to the northward, having the advantage of a fresh gale at S.W. At noon, we were about three or four leagues from the shore, and in latitude 34° 22’ S. longitude 208° 36’ W. In the course of this day’s run from the preceding noon, which was forty-five miles north east, we saw smoke in several places near the beach. About two leagues to the northward of Cape George, the shore seemed to form a bay, which promised shelter from the north east winds, but as the wind was with us, it was not in my power to look into it without beating up, which would have cost me more time than I was willing to spare. The north point of this bay, on account of its figure, I named LONG NOSE; its latitude is 35° 6’, and about eight leagues north of it there lies a point, which, from the colour of the land about it, I called RED POINT: its latitude is 34° 29’, and longitude 208° 45’ W. To the northwest of Red Point, and a little way inland, stands a round hill, the top of which looks like the crown of a hat. In the afternoon of this day, we had a light breeze at N.N.W. till five in the evening, when it fell calm: at this time, we were between three and four leagues from the shore, and had forty-eight fathom water: the variation by azimuth was 8° 48’ E. and the extremities of this land were from N.E. by N. to S.W. by S. Before it was dark, we saw smoke in several places along the shore, and a fire two or three times afterwards. During the night we lay becalmed, driving in before the sea till one in the morning, when we got a breeze from the land, with which we steered N.E. being then in thirty-eight fathom. At noon, it veered to N.E. by N. and we were then in latitude 34° 10 S. longitude 208° 27’ W.: the land was distant about five leagues, and extended from S. 37 W. to N. ½ E. In this latitude, there are some white cliffs, which rise perpendicularly from the sea to a considerable height. We stood off the shore till two o’clock, and then tacked and stood in till six, when we were within four or five miles of it, and at that distance had fifty fathom water. The extremities of the land bore from S. 28 W. to N. 25° 30 E. We now tacked and stood off till twelve, then tacked and stood in again till four in the morning, when we made a trip off till daylight; and during all this time we lost ground, owing to the variableness of the winds. We continued at the distance of between four and five miles from the shore, till the afternoon, when we came within two miles, and I then hoisted out the pinnace and yawl to attempt a landing, but the pinnace proved to be so leaky that I was obliged to hoist her in again. At this time we saw several of the natives walking briskly along the shore, four of whom carried a small canoe upon their shoulders: we flattered ourselves that they were going to put her into the water, and come off to the ship, but finding ourselves disappointed, I determined to go on shore in the yawl, with as many as it would carry: I embarked therefore, with only Mr. Banks, Dr. Solander, Tupia, and four rowers: we pulled for that part of the shore where the Indians appeared, near which four small canoes were lying at the water’s edge.
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© Derived from Vols. II-III of the London 1773 edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, pages 488 - 489, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv23/490.html