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
At two in the morning, however, we made sail with the wind at S. W., and
at day-light, we saw the land extending as far as N. ¾ E.: the point we
had set the night before bore S. W. by W., distant between three and
four leagues. It lies in latitude 25° 58ʹ, longitude 206° 48ʹ W.: the
land within it is of a moderate and equal height, but the point itself
is so unequal, that it looks like two small islands lying under the
land, for which reason I gave it the name of DOUBLE ISLAND POINT: it may
also be known by the white cliffs on the north side of it. Here the land
trends to the N. W., and forms a large open bay, the bottom of which is
so low a flat that from the deck it could scarcely be seen. In crossing
this bay, our depth of water was from thirty to twenty-two fathom, with
a white sandy bottom. At noon we were about three leagues from the
shore, in latitude 25° 34ʹ S., longitude 206° 45ʹ W.: Double Island
Point bore S. ¾ W., and the northernmost land in sight N. ¾ E. This part
of the coast, which is of a moderate height, is more barren than any we
had seen, and the soil more sandy. With our glasses we could discover
that the sands, which lay in great patches of many acres, were moveable,
and that some of them had not been long in the place they possessed; for
we saw in several parts trees half buried, the tops of which were still
green; and in others, the naked trunks of such as the sand had
surrounded long enough to destroy. In other places the woods appeared to
be low and shrubby, and we saw no signs of inhabitants. Two water-snakes
swam by the ship: they were beautifully spotted, and in every respect
like land snakes, except that their tails were broad and flat, probably
to serve them instead of fins in swimming. In the morning of this day
the variation was 8° 20ʹ E., and in the evening 8° 36ʹ. During the night
we continued our course to the northward, with a light breeze from the
land, being distant from it between two and three leagues, and having
from twenty-three to twenty-seven fathom, with a fine sandy bottom.
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