156 cook's SECOND VOYAGE AUG. 



the bay, till about two o'clock in the afternoon, when 

 we came before an opening or break in the reef, 

 through which I hoped to get with the ships. But 

 on sending to examine it, I found there was not a 

 sufficient depth of water ; though it caused such an 

 indraught of the tide of flood through it, as was 

 very near proving fatal to the Resolution ; for as soon 

 as the ships got into this stream, they were carried 

 with great impetuosity towards the reef. The moment 

 I perceived this, I ordered one of the warping ma- 

 chines, which we had in readiness, to be carried out 

 with about four hundred fathoms of rope ; but it had 

 not the least effect. The horrors of shipwreck now 

 stared us in the face. We were not more than two 

 cables' length from the breakers ; and yet we could 

 find no bottom to anchor, the only probable means 

 we had left to save the ships. We however dropt an 

 anchor ; but, before it took hold, and brought us up, 

 the ship was in less than three fathoms water, and 

 struck at every fall of the sea, which broke close 

 under our stern in a dreadful surf, and threatened us 

 every moment with shipwreck. The Adventure, 

 very luckily, brought up close upon our bow without 

 striking. 



We presently carried out two kedge anchors, with 

 hawsers to each. These found ground a little without 

 the bower, but in what depth we never knew. By 

 heaving upon them, and cutting away the bower 

 anchor, we got the ship a-float, where we lay some 

 time in the greatest anxiety, expecting every minute 

 that either the kedges would come home, or the haw- 

 sers be cut in two by the rocks. At length the tide 

 ceased to act in the same direction. I ordered all 

 the boats to try to tow off the Resolution ; and when 

 I saw this was practicable, we hove up the two 

 kedges. At that moment, a light air come off from 

 the land, which so much assisted the boats, that we 

 soon got clear of all danger. Then I ordered all the 

 boats to assist the Adventure ; but before they reached 



