The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World, Vol. III. Being the First of the Second VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World, Vol. III. Being the First of the Second Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
The anchorage, which I named English Road, (being the first who anchored
there), is on the N. W. side, in latitude 21° 20ʹ 30ʺ south. The bearing
we took when at anchor, already mentioned, together with the chart, will
be more than sufficient to find this anchorage. The bank is a coarse
sand; it extends two miles from the land, and on it there is from twenty
to forty fathoms water. The small creek before it affords convenient
landing for boats at all times of the tide; which here, as well as at
the other islands, rises about four or five feet, and is high water on
the full and change days about seven o’clock. The island of Tongatabu is
shaped something like an isosceles triangle, the longest sides whereof
are seven leagues each, and the shortest four. It lies nearly in the
direction of E. S. E. and W. N. W. is nearly all of an equal height,
rather low, not exceeding sixty or eighty feet above the level of the
sea. This island, and also that of Eaoowe, is guarded from the sea by a
reef of coral rocks extending out from the shore one hundred fathoms
more or less. On this reef the force of the sea is spent before it
reaches the land or shore. Indeed, this is, in some measure, the
situation of all the Tropical Isles in this sea that I have seen; and
thus nature has effectually secured them from the encroachments of the
sea, though many of them are mere points when compared to this vast
ocean. Van Diemen’s Road, where we anchored, is under the north-west
part of the island, between the most northern and western points. There
lies a reef of rocks without it, bearing N. W. by W. over which the sea
breaks continually. The bank does not extend more than three cables
lengths from the shore; without that, is an unfathomable depth. The loss
of an anchor, and the damage our cables sustained, are sufficient proofs
that the bottom is none of the best.
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