The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. I. Being the First of the First Voyage.Cook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. I. Being the First of the First Voyage.
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
During this part of our navigation two particulars are very remarkable;
in latitude 35° S., and in the midst of summer, I met with a gale of
wind, which for its strength and continuance was such as I had scarcely
ever been in before, and we were three weeks in getting ten leagues to
the westward, and five week in getting fifty leagues, for at this time
it was so long since we passed Cape Bret. During the gale, we were
happily at a considerable distance from the land, otherwise it is highly
probable that we should never have returned to relate our adventures.
At five o’clock in the evening, having a fresh breeze to the westward,
we tacked and stood to the southward: at this time North Cape bore E. ¾
N., and just open of a point that lies three leagues W. by N. from it.
This cape, as I have observed before, is the northernmost extremity of
this country, and the easternmost point of a peninsula, which runs out
N. W. and N. W. by N. seventeen or eighteen leagues, and of which Cape
Maria Van Diemen is the westernmost point. Cape Maria lies in latitude
34° 30ʹ S., longitude 187° 18ʹ W.; and from this point the land trends
away S. E. by S. and S. E. beyond Mount Camel, and is every where a
barren shore, consisting of banks of white sand.
On the 2d, at noon, we were in latitude 35° 17ʹ S., and Cape Maria bore
north, distant about sixteen leagues, as near as we could guess; for we
had no land in sight, and did not dare to go nearer, as a fresh gale
blew right on shore, with a rolling sea. The wind continued at W. S. W.
and S. W. with frequent squalls; in the evening we shortened sail, and
at midnight tacked, and made a trip to the N. W. till two in the
morning, when we wore and stood to the southward. At break of day, we
made sail, and edged away, in order to make land; and at ten o’clock, we
saw it, bearing N. W. It appeared to be high, and at noon extended from
N. to E. N. E. distant by estimation eight or ten leagues. Cape Maria
then bore N. 2° 30ʹ W. distant thirty-three leagues; our latitude by
observation was 36° 2ʹ S. About seven o’clock in the evening, we were
within six leagues of it; but having a fresh gale upon it, with a
rolling sea, we hauled our wind to the S. E., and kept on that course
close upon the wind all night, sounding several times, but having no
ground with one hundred, and one hundred and ten fathom.
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