Page:Captain Cook's Journal during His First Voyage Round the World.djvu/236

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160
Cook's Journal.—First Voyage.
[Nov. 1769.

and hazey with rain; the remainder, moderate and Clear. At 3 p.m. the Tide of Ebb making, we took up our Anchors and got under Sail and ply'd down the River until 8 o'Clock, when we again came to an Anchor in 7 fathoms, muddy bottom. At 3 a.m. weigh'd with the first of the Ebb and keept plying until the flood obliged us to anchor again. After this I went in the Pinnace over to the Western Shore, but found there neither inhabitants or anything else worthy of Note. At the time I left the Ship a good many of the Natives were alongside and on board Trafficking with our people for such Trifles as they had, and seem'd to behave as well as people could do, but one of them took the ½ hour glass out of the Bittacle, and was caught in the very fact, and for which Mr. Hicks, who was Commanding Officer, brought him to the Gangway and gave him a Dozen lashes with a Catt of nine Tails. The rest of the people seem'd not displeased at it when they came to know what it was for, and some old man beat the fellow after he had got into his Canoe; however, soon after this they all went away.

Thursday, 23rd.—P.M. Gentle breezes at N.N.W.and fair weather. Between 3 and 4 o'Clock got under Sail with the first of the Ebb and ply'd to windward until 9 when we anchor'd in 16 fathoms over upon the East shore. In the night had light Airs and Calm; at 3 A.M. weighed but had little or no wind until near noon, when a light breeze sprung up at N.N.W. At this time we were close under the West shore in 7 fathoms Water; Latitude 36° 51′ S.

Friday, 24th.—P.M., Fresh Gales and dark, Cloudy, squally weather, with Thunder, Lightning, and rain. Winds from the N.W. to the S.W., and this last carried us by 7 o'Clock without the N.W. point of the River, but the weather being bad and having land on all sides of us, and a Dark night coming on, I thought it most adviseable to Tack and stretch in under yₑ Point where we Anchor'd in 19 fathoms. At 5 a.m, weighed and made Sail to the N.W. under our Courses and double Reef'd Topsails, the wind being at S.W. by W. and W.S.W., a strong Gale and Squally blowing right off the land, which would not permit us to come near it, so that from the time of our getting under Sail until' Noon (during which time we ran 12 Leagues) we had but a slight and distant View of the Coast and was not able to distinguish wether the points we saw were parts of the Main or Islands laying before it, for we never once lost sight of the Main Land.[1] At noon our Latitude by observation was 36° 15′ 20″ S., being at this time not above 2 Miles from a Point of Land on the Main and 3½ Leagues from a very high Island[2] which bore N.E. by E. of us; in this

  1. The Endeavour was now in Hauraki Gulf, and had passed the harbour where Auckland now stands, which is hidden behind a number of islands.
  2. Little Barrier Island, now (1892) about to be made a reserve to protect native fauna.