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
On the 9th, we continued a south-east course till eight o’clock in the
evening, having run seven leagues since noon, with the wind at N. N. E.
and N., and being within three or four leagues of the land, which
appeared to be low and sandy. I then steered S. E. by S. in a direction
parallel with the coast, having from forty-eight to thirty-four fathom
water, with a black sandy bottom. At day-break the next morning, we
found ourselves between two and three leagues from the land, which began
to have a better appearance, rising in gentle slopes, and being covered
with trees and herbage. We saw a smoke and a few houses, but it appeared
to be but thinly inhabited. At seven o’clock, we steered S. by E., and
afterwards S. by W., the land lying in that direction. At nine, we were
a-breast of a point which rises with an easy ascent from the sea to a
considerable height: this point, which lies in latitude 37° 43ʹ, I named
WOODY HEAD. About eleven miles from this Head, in the direction of S. W.
½ W. lies a very small island, upon which we saw a great number of
gannets, and which we, therefore, called GANNET ISLAND. At noon, a high
craggy point bore E. N. E. distant about a league and a half, to which I
gave the name of ALBATROSS POINT: it lies in latitude 38° 4ʹ S.,
longitude 184° 42ʹ W.; and is distant seven leagues in the direction of
S. 17 W. from Woody Head. On the north-side of this point the shore
forms a bay, in which there appears to be anchorage and shelter for
shipping. Our course and distance for the last twenty-four hours was S.
37 E. sixty-nine miles; and at noon this day Cape Maria bore N. 30 W.
distant eighty-two leagues. Between twelve and one, the wind shifted at
once from N. N. E. to S. S. W. with which we stood to the westward till
four o’clock in the afternoon; and then tacked, and stood again in shore
till seven; when we tacked again and stood to the westward, having but
little wind. At this time Albatross Point bore N. E., distant near two
leagues, and the southernmost land in sight bore S. S. W. ½ W. being a
very high mountain, and in appearance greatly resembling the Peak of
Teneriffe. In this situation we had thirty fathom water, and having but
little wind all night, we tacked about four in the morning, and stood in
for the shore. Soon after, it fell calm; and being in forty-two fathom
water, the people caught a few sea-bream. At eleven, a light breeze
sprung up from the west, and we made sail to the southward. We continued
to steer S. by W. and S. S. W. along the shore, at the distance of about
four leagues, with gentle breezes from between N. W. and N. N. E. At
seven in the evening, we saw the top of the peak to the southward, above
the clouds, which concealed it below. And at this time, the southernmost
land in sight bore S. by W.; the variation, by several azimuths which
were taken both in the morning and the evening, appeared to be 14° 15ʹ
easterly.
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