On this day ...
3 - 4 August 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
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At six o’clock in the morning of Friday the 3d, we made another unsuccessful attempt to warp the ship out of the harbour; but at five o’clock in the morning of the 4th, our efforts had a better effect, and about seven, we got once more under sail, with a light air from the land, which soon died away, and was followed by the sea-breezes from S.E. by S. with which we stood off to sea E. by N. having the pinnace ahead, which was ordered to keep sounding continually. The yawl had been sent to the turtle bank, to take up the net which had been left there; but as the wind freshened, we got out before her. A little before noon we anchored in fifteen fathom water, with a sandy bottom; for I did not think it safe to run in among the shoals, till I had well viewed them, at low-water, from the mast-head, which might determine me which way to steer: for as yet I was in doubt whether I should beat back to the southward, round all the shoals, or seek a passage to the eastward or the northward, all which at present appeared to be equally difficult and dangerous. When we were at anchor the harbour from which we sailed bore S. 70 W. distant about five leagues; the northermost point of the main in sight, which I named CAPE BEDFORD, and which lies in latitude 15° 16’ S., longitude 214° 45’ W. bore N. 20 W. distant three leagues and a half; but to the N.E. of this Cape we could see land which had the appearance of two high islands: the turtle banks bore east, distant one mile: our latitude by observation was 15° 32’ S. and our depth of water in standing off from the land was from three and an half to fifteen fathom.
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Vols. II-III of the London 1773 edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, page 588, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv23/588.html