Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World: Made in H. M. Bark "Endeavour", 1768-71Cook, James
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Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World: Made in H. M. Bark "Endeavour", 1768-71
Cook, James
Oceania -- Discovery and exploration -- Early works to 1800; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
Wednesday, 14th. P.M. a fresh breeze sprung up at North-East, and we
Steer'd South-West by West for the Southermost land we had in sight,
which bore from us at sunset South 74 degrees West. At this time we found
the Variation to be 15 degrees 4 minutes East. At 8 A.M. it fell Calm; at
this time we had run 21 Leagues South 58 degrees West since Yesterday at
noon, which brought us abreast of the high Snowy mountain, it bearing
from us North-West in this direction. It lay behind a Mountainous ridge
of nearly the same height, which riseth directly from the Sea, and runs
Parrallel with the Shore, which lies North-East 1/2 North and South-West
1/2 South. The North-East end of the ridge takes its rise but a little
way inland from Cape Campbell. These mountains are distinctly seen both
from Cape Koamaroo and Cape Pallisser, being distant from the former
South-West 1/2 South 22 Leagues, and from the Latter West-South-West 30
Leagues: but they are of a height sufficient to be seen at a much greater
distance. By some on board they are thought to be much higher than the
Peak of Teneriffe, which I cannot agree to; neither do I think them so
high as Mount Egmont, on the South-West Coast of Aeheinomouwe, founding
my opinion on the summit of the Latter being almost wholy covered with
Snow, whereas it only lies upon these in patches.* (* The highest peak of
the Kaikoura Mountains, Mount Tapuaepuka, is 9500 feet high. It is
therefore higher than Mount Egmont, but not so high as the Peak of
Teneriffe. The snow lies thicker on the western side of New Zealand
mountains, so Cook's parallel was fallacious. The Endeavour was now near
the Kaikoura Peninsula, where a small town stands at the present day, the
shipping port of an agricultural district.) At noon was in the Latitude
of 42 degrees 34 minutes South; the Southermost land we had in sight bore
South-West 1/2 West, and some low land that made like an Island lying
close under the foot of the Ridge North-West by North, distant about 5 or
6 Leagues.
Thursday, 15th. In the P.M. 4 Double Canoes, in which were 57 Men, came
off to the Ship; they kept at the distance of about a Stone's throw from
us, and would not be prevailed upon to put alongside by all that Tupia
could say to them. From this we concluded that they never had heard of
our being upon the coast. At 8 p.m. a breeze sprung up at
South-South-West, with which we Stretched off South-East, because some on
board thought they saw land in that Quarter. We continued on this course
until 6 A.M., at which time we had run 11 Leagues, but saw no land but
that which we had left. Soon after this it fell calm, and continued so
for an hour; then a light breeze sprung up at West, which afterwards
veer'd to the North, and we stood to the Westward. At Noon our Latitude
by Observation was 42 degrees 56 minutes South, and the High Land we were
abreast of yesterday at Noon, North-North-West 1/2 West.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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