A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 2Cook, James
History
A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 2
Cook, James
Antarctica; Oceania -- Discovery and exploration -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
During the night, we had advanced about two leagues to the S.E.; and at
day-break on the 23d an elevated point appeared in sight beyond Cape
Coronation, bearing S. 23 deg. E. It proved to be the south-east extremity of
the coast, and obtained the name of Queen Charlotte's Foreland. Latitude
22 deg. 16' S., longitude 167 deg. 14' E. About noon, having got a breeze from the
N.E., we stood to S.S.E., and as we drew towards Cape Coronation, saw in a
valley to the south of it, a vast number of those elevated objects
before-mentioned; and some low land under the foreland was wholly covered with
them. We could not agree in our opinions of what they were. I supposed them
to be a singular sort of trees, being too numerous to resemble any thing
else; and a great deal of smoke kept rising all the day from amongst those
near the cape. Our philosophers were of opinion that this was the smoke of
some internal and perpetual fire. My representing to them that there was no
smoke here in the morning would have been of no avail, had not this eternal
fire gone out before night, and no more smoke been seen after. They were
still more positive that the elevations were pillars of basaltes, like
those which compose the Giant's Causeway in Ireland. At sun-set, the wind
veering round to the south, we tacked and stood off, it not being safe to
approach the shore in the dark. At day-break we stood in again, with a
faint land-breeze between E.S.E. and S.S.E. At noon observed, in latitude
21 deg. 59' 30", Cape Coronation being west southerly, distant seven leagues,
and the foreland S. 38 deg. W. As we advanced S.S.W. the coast beyond the
foreland began to appear in sight; and at sun-set we discovered a low
island lying S.S.E, about seven miles from the foreland. It was one of
those which are generally surrounded with shoals and breakers. At the same
time a round hill was seen bearing S. 24 deg. E, twelve leagues distant. During
night, having had variable light winds, we advanced but little either way.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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