228 cook's first voyage august, 



CHAP. VII. 



THE PASSAGE FROM NEW SOUTH WALES TO NEW GUINEA, WITH 

 AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED UPON LANDING THERE. 



In the afternoon of Thursday, August the 23d, after 

 leaving Booby Island, we steered W. N.W., with light 

 airs from the S.S.W. tillfive o'clock, when it fell calm, 

 and the tide of ebb soon after setting to the N.E., we 

 came to an anchor in eight fathom water, with a soft 

 sandy bottom. Booby Island bore S.50E., distantfive 

 miles, and the Prince of Wales's Isles extended from 

 N.E. byN. to S. 55 E. ; between these there appeared 

 to be a clear open passage, extending from N. 46 E. 

 to E. by N. 



At half an hour after five, in the morning of the 



24th, as we were purchasing the anchor, the cable 



parted at about eight or ten fathom from the ring : 



the ship then began to drive, but I immediately 



dropped another anchor, which brought her up before 



she got more than a cable's length from the buoy ; 



the boats were then sent to sweep for the anchor, 



but could not succeed. At noon, our latitude, by 



observation, was 1030 / S. As I was resolved not to 



leave the anchor behind, while there remained a 



possibility of recovering it, I sent the boats again 



after dinner, with a small line, to discover where it 



lay ; this being happily effected, we swept for it with 



a hawser, and by the same hawser hove the ship up 



to it : we proceeded to weigh it, but just as we were 



about to ship it, the hawser slipped, and we had all 



our labour to repeat. By this time it was dark, and 



we were obliged to suspend our operations till the 



morning. 



As soon as it was light, we sweeped it again, and 



4 



