The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. V. Being the First of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
As we were standing out of Port Palliser, we discovered a round hill,
like a sugar-loaf, in the direction of S. 72° E., about nine leagues
distant. It had the appearance of an island lying at some distance from
the coast; but we afterwards found it was upon the main land. In getting
out to sea, we had to steer through the winding channels amongst the
shoals. However, we ventured to run over some of them, on which we never
found less than eighteen fathoms, and often did not strike ground with
twenty-four; so that, had it not been for the sea-weed growing upon all
of them, they would not have been discovered.
After we had got about three or four leagues from the coast, we found a
clear sea, and then steered east till nine o’clock, when the Sugar-loaf
hill, above mentioned, which I named Mount Campbell, bore S. E., and a
small island that lies to the northward of it, S. S. E., distant four
leagues. I now steered more southerly, in order to get in with the land.
At noon, the latitude by double altitudes was 49° 8ʹ S.; and we had made
eighty miles of E. longitude from Cape St. Louis.[134] Mount Campbell
bore S. 47° W., distant about four leagues; a low point, beyond which no
land was to be seen, bore S. S. E., at the distance of about twenty
miles; and we were about two leagues from the shore.
The land here is low and level.[135] The mountains ending about five
leagues from the low point, a great extent of low land is left, on which
Mount Campbell is situated, about four miles from the foot of the
mountains, and one from the sea-coast. These mountains have a
considerable elevation, as also most of the inland ones. They seemed to
be composed of naked rocks, whose summits were capt with snow. Nor did
the valleys appear to greater advantage. To whatever quarter we directed
our glasses, nothing but sterility was to be seen.
We had scarcely finished taking the bearings at noon, before we observed
low land opening off the low point just mentioned, in the direction of
S. S. E., and eight miles beyond it. This new point proved to be the
very eastern extremity of this land, and it was named Cape Digby. It is
situated in the latitude of 49° 23ʹ S., and in the longitude of 70° 34ʹ
E.
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