On this day ...
7 - 8 February 1770
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
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On the 7th, we weighed anchor, and proceeded along the straits with the tide and a fine breeze, which set us through with great rapidity. At the entrance into the straits, from the north, there is a small island on the north side, near a point of land on the main; this island we called Entry Island. The land on the south side is very high, and but thinly cloathed, though we saw here and there a fine level. At one part, in particular, the land was very low, and seemed to form an entrance. We saw a very long row of high trees, like those at Hawke's bay, and at Ooahaowragee, or the river Thames; and it is probably the mouth of some river. We called this bay Cloudy Bay; opposite to which, on the other side of the straits, is a cape or point of land which the natives of Cannibal Bay call Teera-witte. Here is also a great number of hills, and one much higher than the rest, having its summit covered with snow, which we saw at a great distance. The north coast tended away eastward; and the south to the S. S. W, which we followed till the night closed in upon us; then the wind chopped about; and, being willing to satisfy ourselves whether the north part of this land was an island, we resolved to sail as far north as Cape Turnagain. These straits, which we named Cook's Straits, are about thirteen miles long, and fourteen broad. The two easter-most points of which we called Cape Campbell and Cape Palliser. The flood tide comes strong in from the southward, and, on the days of new and full moon, it is high water about eleven o'clock.
On the 8th, we sailed along the southern coast of this island: the weather was hazy, but we discovered many extensive lawns, with some high hills, the tops of which which were mostly flat. In the afternoon, three canoes came off to us; two of them were large and handsome. The natives in them, who seemed to have been out and mangled in several parts of their bodies, behaved peaceably; and, by asking for nails, we concluded they had heard of us from the people of some other islands where we had been. They were much like the natives of Mataroowkaow, a vil-lage in Tolaga Bay; being very neatly drest, having their hair knotted on the crown of their heads in two bunches, one of which was Tamoou, or plaited, and the wreath bound round them the same. In one of the canoes there was an old man who came on board, attended by one of the natives; he was tataowed all over the face, with a streak of red paint over his nose, and across his cheek. His brow, as well as the brows of many others who were with him, was much furrowed; and the hair of his head and beard quite silvered with age. He had on a flaxen garment, ornamented with a beautiful wrought border; and under it a petticoat, made of a sort of cloth which they call Aooree Waow: on his ears hung a bunch of teeth, and an ear-ring of Poonamoo, or green stone. For an Indian, his speech was soft, and his voice so low that we could hardly hear it. By his dress, carriage, and the respect paid to him, we supposed him to be a person of distinction amongst them.
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from the London 1773 edition printed for Stanfield Parkinson, pages 118 - 119, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-parkinson-161.html