On this day ...
30 August - 8 September 1769
Endeavour Voyage Maps
James Cook's Journal Ms 1, National Library of Australia
Transcript of Cook's Journal
Joseph Banks's Journal
The authorised published account of Cook's Voyage by John Hawkesworth
New Zealand
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On the 30th, we had a brisk breeze, and a great swell from the west with fair clear weather, but very cold. The Thermometer, in open air, was at 52. One of Mr. Banks's servants saw a bird of a fine green colour, and likewise some sea-weed. In the night, we had heavy showers of hail, and sudden gusts of wind, which were very piercing, and so violent, that we were obliged to lay the ship to under the foresail. The same weather continued all the next day, the 31st, accompanied with a high swell from the west, which made the ship run gunnel-to under water. A vast number of birds, of different kinds, followed us all day, sporting on the surface of the water. These were Pintados, (a bird of a silver colour, such as we saw in the Atlantic ocean,) Albatrosses, and various sorts of Procellariae. Several parcels of rock-weed were also seen by some of our people. Latitude 39° 2° S. Thermometer, in open air, 48.
On the 1st of September, we had hard piercing gales and squalls from the W. and N. W. with violent showers of hail and rain. The sea ran mountain-high, and tossed the ship upon the waves: she rolled so much, that we could get no rest, or scarcely lie in bed, and almost every moveable on board was thrown down, and rolled about from place to place. In brief, a person, who has not been in a storm at sea, cannot form an adequate idea of the situation we were in. The wind still increasing, we laid the ship to under the foresail. The heavens, how-ever, being clear, at four in the morning, we saw the comet again between Aldebaran and Orion. Latitude, by account, 40° and odd; and Thermometer 44.
On the 2d, we had hard gales, and squally weather. About noon we set the mainsail, and bore away N. N. W. the captain having, pursuant to his orders, gone in search of the continent as far as 40° south latitude, and determined to stand to the southward, to see what discoveries he could make in that quarter, apprehending that, if we continued much longer in these high latitudes, we should not have sails enough to carry us home: besides, the weather was so tempestuous, that, had we made land, it would not have been safe to have approached near it. — The course which we have steered to the southward, has been mostly between 147 and 150 degrees, west longitude.
On the 3d, we had dark and gloomy weather, with a light westerly breeze, and the air was very cold.
On the 5th, we had variable weather, with some rain: we saw some Albatrosses. with white beaks, and others all white, except the tips of their wings.
On the 6th, we had hard gales from the west, which obliged us to go under our courses, but the weather was clear, though cold.
On the 8th, we were becalmed most part of the morning; but, in the after-noon, the wind came about easterly, and brought with it some rain.
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from the London 1773 edition printed for Stanfield Parkinson, page 82, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-parkinson-116.html