On this day ...
15 - 20 May 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
New Holland
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On the 15th, we were in the latitude of 28° 4°. The breeze continued brisk from the S. W. the land appeared very uneven ; and we saw a remarkable high peak, with three points at the top : behind it were three other hills, with round tops; and the nearest land was well covered with wood. We saw six men, quite naked, walking upon a strait, white, sandy beach ; and, in the evening, having a low point of land a-head, we discovered several breakers, at a considerable distance from the shore. The wind freshening, we stood to the east ; and, soon after dark, brought to, continued founding every half-hour, and found thirty fathoms water.
On the 16th, we were in latitude 27° 4°, and saw a vast tract of low land, with, here and there, a rising hill.
On the 17th, the land appeared higher, having many remarkable peaks; one of which was like a glass-house: we also saw some smoke, and the appearance of a large river; the water of which was of a pale green colour. Latitude 26° 2°.
On the 18th, in latitude 25° 3°, the land appeared to rise perpendicular, of an unequal height, and looked like a wall along the coast, without having any break; which prevented us from seeing the back land; and it was covered with great patches of white sand and stinted shrubs. The sea was full of a sort of orange-coloured powder, like that we saw on the coast of Brazil. On this day, we saw a water-snake.
On the 20th, in the forenoon, we were a-breast of a point which seemed to be the last of the land to the north, and tended away abruptly to the south. From this point there runs a very large shoal, on several parts of which the water broke. We sailed along-side of it, and had from seventeen to nine fathoms water. Before night came on, we got round it, and kept our course westward, as we had seen the looming of land in that quarter. The barren sandy land continued to this point, and was uninhabited. We saw a large turtle, some large grampusses that leaped out of the water, a great number of porpoises, many sharks which would not take bait, and several men-of-war birds. Latitude 24° 2°.
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from the London 1773 edition printed for Stanfield Parkinson, page 137, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
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