On this day ...
29 November - 5 December 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
Coastal views
Index
Search
Contact us
The wind having been against us for several days, and as we could get no farther with our heavy ship, on the 29th, in the morning, having weathered a long point of land, which we named Cape Brett, we bore away to leeward; got into a very large harbour, where we were land-locked, and had several pretty coves on every side of us. We passed a small island which we named Piercy Island, and soon after cast anchor. Many canoes came off to us; and the people in them, according to custom, behaved somewhat unruly: while I saluted one of them, in their manner, he picked my pocket. Some of our people fired upon them, but they did not seem to regard it much. One of our boats went on shore, and then they set off all at once, and attempted to seize her, in which, however, they sailed; but soon after Mr. Banks got on shore, he had like to have been apprehended by one of the natives, but happily escaped. The marines fired upon them; five great guns were fired from the ship, and Otegoowgoow, [see pl. XXI] son to one of their chiefs, was wounded in the thigh. The natives, affrighted, fled precipitately to a Hippa, where our people followed them; and, at length, they became very submissive. Had these barbarians acted more in concert, they would have been a formidable enemy, and might have done us much mischief; but they had no kind of order or military discipline among them. They gave us some large mackarel, which ate very deliciously, and that was almost the only article they would part with.
On the 5th of December, we weighed anchor, but were becalmed at the entrance of the bay, which we called the Bay of Islands, from the many islands in it. However, as it frequently happens in life, a lesser evil secured us from a greater; being detained here, we escaped a severe gale at sea, that might have proved very dangerous to us, as the wind blew a perfect hurricane, one day, accompanied with heavy showers of rain.
The natives (being more sensible of our power) behaved very civil, and brought us a great many fish; and while we lay here, we caught some ourselves with hook and line.
 |
Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from the London 1773 edition printed for Stanfield Parkinson, page 109, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-parkinson-149.html