CHAPTER XI 

 COOK IN "ENDEAVOUR" (1770) 



TRANSIT OF VENUS OBSERVED AT TAHITI. NEW ZEALAND VISITED AND DIVIDED INTO 

 TWO LARGE ISLANDS. EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA STRUCK NEAR CAPE HoWE. 

 COAST FOLLOWED NORTHWARD. LANDING AT BOTANY BAY. ATTEMPTED INTER- 

 COURSE WITH HOSTILE NATIVES. LANDING AT TRINITY BAY. OFF CAPE 

 TRIBULATION. " ENDEAVOUR " ON A CORAL REEF. BEACHED IN ENDEAVOUR 

 INLET (COOKTOWN), CAREENED AND REPAIRED. SEVEN WEEKS IN HARBOUR. 

 SHORT INLAND EXCURSIONS. EXPLORATION OF NORTHERN COAST AND ISLANDS. 

 INTERCOURSE WITH NATIVES FAIRLY AMICABLE, BUT THEIR ACQUISITIVE AND 

 INQUISITIVE HABITS HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY WATCHED. NORTHWARD VOYAGE 

 RESUMED. LANDING AT LOOKOUT POINT. LANDING AT TURTLE, EAGLE AND 

 LIZARD ISLANDS. OUTSIDE OF BARRIER REEF. BECALMED AND DRIFTING ON THE 

 REEF. INSIDE THE REEF AGAIN BY PROVIDENTIAL CHANNEL. NORTHWARD 

 VOYAGE RESUMED. ROUND CAPE YORK AND WESTWARD. PRINCE OF WALES 

 AND HORN ISLANDS. INSULARITY OF NEW GUINEA FINALLY SETTLED. COOK 

 LANDS ON POSSESSION ISLAND AND TAKES POSSESSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 

 PLANTS HIS FLAG ON AN AURIFEROUS REEF. HAD HE BUT KNOWN ! BOOBY 

 ISLAND AND HOME. ENDEAVOUR STRAIT NOT THE PASSAGE USED BY TORRES. 

 ALEXANDER DALRYMPLE A DISAPPOINTED CANDIDATE FOR THE COMMAND OF THE 

 " ENDEAVOUR." His GREAT SERVICES TO CARTOGRAPHY. His IDEAL EXPLORER. 

 A SATIRICAL DEDICATION. 



BEYOND question, Lieutenant-Commander (by courtesy 

 Captain) James Cook, R.N., ranks foremost among the 

 navigators who helped to build up the British Empire. 

 Among the services which he performed, the greatest of 

 all were the discoveries which led to the acquisition of Australia. 



The main incidents of his adventures in Australia are so well 

 known that in the present volume it is necessary to do little more 

 than to trace his connection with the Cape York Peninsula. 



The great " First " Voyage commenced in 1768 and ended in 

 1771. Although Cook's original Log or Journal is still extant, 

 it was only given to the world in its entirety by Captain Sir W. J. L. 

 Wharton, R.N., in 1893. The Editor remarks : 



" Strange it must appear that the account of the most celebrated and certainly, 

 to the English nation, the most momentous voyage of discovery that has ever taken 

 place for it practically gave birth to the great Australian colonies has never before 

 been given to the world in the very words of its great leader. It has fallen out in 

 this wise. 



" After the return of the ' Endeavour? it was decided that a full and comprehensive 

 account of the voyage should be compiled. Cook's Journal dealt with matters from 

 the point of view of the seaman, the explorer and the head of the expedition, responsible 

 for life and for its general success. The Journals of Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander 

 looked from the scientific side on all that presented itself to their enthusiastic 

 observation. 



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