It is still often written that the "open bay" was so named after a seaman
by the name of Jackson on board the ship; but Sir George Jackson, who
afterwards changed his name to Duckett, was at this time, with Mr. Philip
Stephens, joint secretary to the Admiralty. Cook named Port Jackson and
Port Stephens after these two officials, and there was no seaman named
Jackson on board the _Endeavour_. Cook did not enter Port Jackson, and the
discovery of the finest harbour in the world was left for another less
well remembered, but no less efficient and zealous, naval officer.
The simple entries in the _Endeavour's_ logbooks, to the sailor who reads
them, tell far better than the fine writing of Dr. Hawkesworth the
difficulties which Cook laboured under on this voyage. For example, His
Majesty's ship _Endeavour_ was so well found that on April 14th, 1770,
Cook has this entry:--
"The spritsail topsail being wore to rags, it was condemned as
unfit for its proper use, and taken to repair the topgall'ntsails,
they being so bad as not to be worth the expense of new canvas,
but, with the help of this sail, will be made to last some time;
also took out one of the ship's tents (50) yards of canvas to
repair the jibb that was split on the 1st instant, there being
neither new canvas nor twine in the ship to spare for that
purpose."
But the most serious trouble was when on the 11th of June the _Endeavour_
got ashore on the Barrier Reef. Here is Cook's entry:--
"Shoal'd the water from 20 to 17 faths., and before the man in the
chains could have another cast the ship struck and lay fast on
some rocks, upon which we took in all sail, hoisted out the boats,
and sounded round the ship, and found that we had got upon the
edge of a reef of coral rocks, which lay to the N.W. of us, having
in some places round the ship 3 or 4 fathoms, and in others about
as many feet; but about 100 feet from her starboard side, she
laying with her head to the N.E., were 7, 8, and 10 fathom.
Carried out the stream anchor and two hawsers on the starboard
bow and the coasting anchor and cable upon the starboard quarters,
got down yards and topmasts, and hove taught upon the hawser and
cable; but as we had gone ashore about high water, the ship by
this time was quite fast. Turned all hands to lighten the ship,
and in order to do this we not only started water, but hove
overboard guns, iron and stone ballast, casks, hoops, staves,
oyl-jars, stores, and whatever was of weight or in the way at
coming at heavy articles. All this time the ship made but little
water. Being now high water, as we thought, hove a strain upon the
stern anchor, as I found the ship must go off that way, if at all,
but all we could do was to no purpose, she not being afloat by a
foot or more, notwithstanding we had hove overboard 40 or 50-ton
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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