94 CAPTAIN COOK'S VOYAGES 



the current. This day and the next, they weighed anchor 

 and brought to several times. On the 8th, they were once 

 more obliged to anchor near a little island, which was not 

 laid down in any of their charts. It is one of those that bear 

 the name of the Milles Isles ; and Messrs. Solander and 

 Banks having landed upon it, collected a few plants, and 

 shot a bat which was a yard long, being measured from 

 the extreme points of the w r ings. 



In a little time after the gentlemen came back to the ship, 

 some Malays came alongside in a boat, bringing with them 

 some pumpkins, dried fish, and turtle for sale ; one of the 

 turtles, which weighed near one hundred arid fifty pounds, 

 they sold for a dollar. 



The ship now made but slow way till night, when the land 

 breeze springing up, they sailed to the east-south-east, and 

 on the following day they came to an anchor in the road 

 of Batavia. 



The Endeavour had no sooner anchored, than a ship was 

 observed, with a broad pendant flying, from which a boat 

 was despatched to demand the name of the vessel, with that 

 of the commander. To these inquiries Captain Cook gave 

 such answers as he thought proper, and the officer who com- 

 manded the boat departed. This gentleman and the crew 

 that attended him were so worn down by the unhealthiness 

 of the climate, that they appeared but as the shadows of 

 men ; which the Captain deemed a sad presage of the 

 havock which death would soon make among his crew ; yet 

 at present there was not one invalid on board, except the 

 Indian Tupia. The English tars, whose want of foresight 

 and defiance of danger is notorious, seemed not to entertain 

 the least idea that even sickness would attack a set of men 

 so hardened as they were by different climates ; but, alas 1 

 they had very little idea of the fatal contagion which im- 

 pregnates the air of Batavia. 



The officers and seamen concurring in opinion that the 

 ship could not safely put to sea again in her present con- 

 dition, the Captain resolved to solicit permission to heave 

 her down ; but as he had learnt that this must be done in 

 writing, he drew up a petition, and had it translated into 

 Dutch. 



On the 10th of October, 1770, the Captain and the rest of 

 the gentlemen went on shore,and applied to the only English 

 gentleman then resident at Batavia. This gentleman, whose 

 name was Leith, received his countrymen in the politest 

 manner, and entertained them at dinner with great 

 hospitality. 



In the afternoon, Captain Cook attended the governor- 

 general, who received him politely, and told him to wait on 



