186 cook's first voyage august, 



ance of our boats and the breeze, we found that in 

 the mean time it had become high water, and to our 

 great surprise we met the tide of ebb rushing out of 

 it like a mill-stream. We gained, however, some ad- 

 vantage, though in a manner directly contrary to our 

 expectations ; we found it impossible to go through 

 the opening, but the stream that prevented us, carried 

 us out about a quarter of a mile ; it was too narrow 

 for us to keep in it longer ; yet this tide of ebb so 

 much assisted the boats, that by noon we had got an 

 offing of near two miles. We had, however, reason 

 to despair of deliverance, even if the breeze, which 

 had now died away, should revive, for we were still 

 embayed in the reef; and the tide of ebb being 

 spent, the tide of flood, notwithstanding our utmost 

 efforts, again drove the ship into the bight. About 

 this time, however, we saw another opening, near a 

 mile to the westward, which I immediately sent the 

 first lieutenant, Mr. Hicks, in the small boat to exa- 

 mine : in the mean time we struggled hard with the 

 flood, sometimes gaining a little, and sometimes losing; 

 but every man still did his duty, with as much calm- 

 ness and regularity as if no danger had been near. 

 About two o'clock Mr. Hicks returned, with an ac- 

 count that the opening was narrow and dangerous, 

 but that it might be passed : the possibility of pass- 

 ing it was sufficient encouragement to make the 

 attempt, for all danger was less imminent than that 

 of our present situation. A light breeze now sprung 

 up at E. N. E., with which, by the help of our boats, 

 and the very tide of flood that, without an opening, 

 would have been our destruction, we entered it, and 

 were hurried through with amazing rapidity, by a 

 torrent that kept us from driving against either side 

 of the channel, which was not more than a quarter 

 of a mile in breadth. While we were shooting this 

 gulf, our soundings were from thirty to seven 

 fathom, very irregular, and the ground at bottom 

 very foul. 



