The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third VoyageCook, James
History
The Three Voyages of Captain Cook Round the World. Vol. VI. Being the Second of the Third Voyage
Cook, James
Cook, James, 1728-1779 -- Travel; Explorers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Voyages around the world -- History -- 18th century
At length, at nine o’clock in the morning of the 29th, as we were
standing to the north-east, we again saw the land, which, at noon,
extended from north-west by west, to east south-east, the nearest part
about six leagues distant. Our latitude was now 49° 29ʹ north, and our
longitude 232° 29ʹ east. The appearance of the country differed much
from that of the parts which we had before seen, being full of high
mountains, whose summits were covered with snow; but the valleys between
them, and the grounds on the sea coast, high as well as low, were
covered to a considerable breadth with high straight trees, that formed
a beautiful prospect, as of one vast forest. The south-east extreme of
the land formed a low point, off which are many breakers, occasioned by
sunken rocks. On this account it was called _Point Breakers_. It lies in
the latitude of 49° 15ʹ north, and in the longitude of 233° 20ʹ east;
and the other extreme, in about the latitude of 50°, and the longitude
of 232°. I named this last _Woody Point_. It projects pretty much out to
the south-west, and is high land. Between these two points, the shore
forms a large bay, which I called _Hope Bay_; hoping, from the
appearance of the land, to find in it a good harbour. The event proved,
that we were not mistaken.
As we drew nearer the coast, we perceived the appearance of two inlets;
one in the north-west, and the other in the north-east corner of the
bay. As I could not fetch the former, I bore up to the latter, and
passed some breakers, or sunken rocks, that lay a league or more from
the shore. We had nineteen and twenty fathoms’ water half a league
without them; but as soon as we had passed them, the depth increased to
thirty, forty, and fifty fathoms, with a sandy bottom; and farther in we
found no ground with the greatest length of line. Notwithstanding
appearances, we were not yet sure that there were any inlets; but as we
were in a deep bay, I resolved to anchor, with a view to endeavour to
get some water, of which, by this time, we were in great want. At
length, as we advanced, the existence of the inlet was no longer
doubtful. At five o’clock we reached the west point of it, where we were
becalmed for some time. While in this situation, I ordered all the boats
to be hoisted out to tow the ships in. But this was hardly done, before
a fresh breeze sprung up again at north-west, with which we were enabled
to stretch up into an arm of the inlet, that was observed by us to run
in to the north-east. There we were again becalmed, and obliged to
anchor in eighty-five fathoms’ water, and so near the shore as to reach
it with a hawser. The wind failed the Discovery before she got within
the arm, where she anchored, and found only seventy fathoms.
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