The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. II. Being the Second of the First VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. II. Being the Second of the First Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
The point of the main which forms the side of the channel through which
we passed, opposite to the island, is the northern promontory of the
country, and I called it YORK CAPE. Its longitude is 218° 24ʹ W., the
latitude of the north point is 10° 37ʹ, and of the east point 10° 42ʹ S.
The land over the east point, and to the southward of it, is rather low,
and as far as the eye can reach, very flat, and of a barren appearance.
To the southward of the Cape the shore forms a large open bay, which I
called NEWCASTLE BAY, and in which are some small low islands and
shoals; the land adjacent is also very low, flat, and sandy. The land of
the northern part of the Cape is more hilly, the valleys seem to be well
clothed with wood, and the shore forms some small bays, in which there
appeared to be good anchorage. Close to the eastern point of the Cape
are three small islands, from one of which a small ledge of rocks runs
out into the sea: there is also an island close to the northern point.
The island that forms the strait or channel through which we had passed,
lies about four miles without these, which, except two, are very small:
the southermost is the largest, and much higher than any part of the
main land. On the north-west side of this island there appeared to be
good anchorage, and on shore, valleys that promised both wood and water.
These islands are distinguished in the chart by the name of YORK ISLES.
To the southward and south-east, and even to the eastward and northward
of them, there are several other low islands, rocks, and shoals: our
depth of water, in sailing between them and the main, was twelve,
thirteen, and fourteen fathom.
We stood along the shore to the westward, with a gentle breeze at S. E.
by S., and when we had advanced between three and four miles, we
discovered the land a-head, which, when we first saw it, we took for the
main, to be islands detached from it by several channels. Upon this we
sent away the boats, with proper instructions, to lead us through that
channel which was next the main; but soon after discovering rocks and
shoals in this channel, I made a signal for the boats to go through the
next channel to the northward, which lay between these islands, leaving
some of them between us and the main: the ship followed, and had never
less than five fathom water in the narrowest part of the channel, where
the distance from island to island was about one mile and a half.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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