A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

and with much difficulty we saved her from being washed overboard. This gale lasted twelve hours,after which we had more moderate weather, intermixed with calms. We frequently hoisted out theboats to try the currents, and in general found a small drift to the W.S.W. We shot many birds; andhad, upon the whole, good weather; but as we got near to the land, it came on thick and dirty forseveral days, till we made the coast of New Zealand in 40° 30' S., having made twenty-four degreesof longitude, from Adventure Bay, after a passage of fifteen days.We had the winds much southerly in this passage, and I was under some apprehensions of not beingable to fetch the straits, which would have obliged us to steer away for George's Island; I wouldtherefore advise any who sail to this part, to keep to the southward, particularly in the fall of theyear, when the S. and S.E. winds prevail.The land, when we first made it, appeared high, and formed a confused jumble of hills andmountains. We steered along shore to the northward, but were much retarded in our course by reasonof the swell from the N.E. At noon, on the 3rd of April, Cape Farewell, which is the south point ofthe entrance of the west side of the straits, bore E. by N. 1/2 N. by the compass, three or four leaguesdistant. About eight o'clock we entered the straits, and steered N.E. till midnight; then brought-to tillday-light, and had soundings from forty-five to fifty-eight fathoms, sand and broken shells. At daylight,made sail and steered S.E. by E.; had light airs; Mount Egmont N.N.E. eleven or twelveleagues, and Point Stephens S.E. 1/2 E. seven leagues. At noon, Mount Egmont N. by E. twelveleagues; Stephens Island S.E. five leagues. In the afternoon we put the dredge over-board in sixtyfivefathoms; but caught nothing except a few small scallops, two or three oysters, and broken shells.Standing to the eastward for Charlotte's Sound, with a light breeze at N.W., in the morning on the5th, Stephens Island bearing S.W. by W. four leagues, we were taken a-back with a strong easterlygale, which obliged us to haul our wind to the S.E. and work to windward up under Port Jackson.The course from Stephens Island to Point Jackson, is nearly S.E. by the compass, eleven leaguesdistant, depth of water from forty to thirty-two fathoms, sandy ground. As we stood off and on, wefired several guns, but saw no signs of any inhabitants. In the afternoon, at half-past two, o'clock,finding the tide set the ship to the westward, we anchored with the coasting anchor in thirty-ninefathoms water, muddy ground; Point Jackson S.E. 1/2 E. three leagues; the east point of an inlet(about four leagues to the westward of Point Jackson, and which appears to be a good harbour) S.W.by W. 1/2 W. At eight p.m. the tide slackening, we weighed and made sail (having while at anchorcaught several fish with hook and line), and found the tide to run to the westward, at the rate of twoand a half knots per hour. Standing to the east, we found no ground at seventy fathoms, off PointJackson N.N.W., two leagues. At eight the next morning, had the sound open; but the wind beingdown, it obliged us to work up under the western shore, as the tide sets up strong there, when it runsdown in mid channel. At ten, the tide being done, was obliged to come-to with the best bower inthirty-eight fathoms, close to some white rocks, Point Jackson bearing N.W. 1/2 N.; thenorthernmost of the Brothers E. by S.; and the middle of Entry Island (which lies on the north side ofthe straits) N.E. We made 15° 30' E., variation in the straits. As we sailed up the sound we saw thetops of high mountains covered with snow, which remains all the year. When the tide slackened, weweighed and sailed up the sound; and about five o'clock on the 7th, anchored in Ship Cove, in tenfathoms water, muddy ground, and moored the best bower to the N.N.E., and small to S.S.W. In thenight, we heard the howling of dogs, and people hallooing on the east shore.The two following days were employed in clearing a place on Motuara Island for erecting our tentsfor the sick (having then several on board much afflicted with the scurvy), the sail-makers andcoopers. On the top of the island was a post erected, by the Endeavour's people, with her name andtime of departure on it.On the 9th, we were visited by three canoes with about sixteen of the natives; and to induce them to