170 cook's first voyage august, 



CHAP. V. 



DEPARTURE FROM ENDEAVOUR RIVER; A PARTICULAR DE- 

 SCRIPTION OF THE HARBOUR THERE, IN WHICH THE SHIP 

 WAS REFITTED, THE ADJACENT COUNTRY, AND SEVERAL 

 ISLANDS NEAR THE COAST : THE RANGE FROM ENDEAVOUR 

 RIVER TO THE NORTHERN EXTREMITY OF THE COUNTRY, AND 

 THE DANGERS OF THAT NAVIGATION. 



1 o the harbour which we had now left, I gave the 

 name of Endeavour River. It is only a small bar 

 harbour, or creek, which runs in a winding channel 

 three or four leagues inland, and at the head of which 

 there is a small brook of fresh water. There is not 

 depth of water for shipping above a mile within the 

 bar, and at this distance only on the north side, where 

 the bank is so steep for near a quarter of a mile, that 

 a ship may lie afloat at low water, so near the shore as 

 to reach it with a stage, and the situation is extremely 

 convenient for heaving down \ but at low water, the 

 depth upon the bar is not more than nine or ten feet, 

 nor more than seventeen or eighteen at the height of 

 the tide ; the difference between high and low water, 

 at spring tides, being about nine feet. At the new 

 and full of the moon it is high water between nine 

 and ten o'clock. It must also be remembered, that 

 this part of the coast is so barricaded with shoals, as 

 to make the harbour still more difficult of access ; 

 the safest approach is from the southward, keeping 

 the main land close upon the board all the way. Its 

 situation may always be found by the latitude, which 

 has been very accurately laid down. Over the south 

 point is some high land, but the north point is formed 

 by a low sandy beach, which extends about three 

 miles to the northward, where the land begins again 

 to be high. 



