FIRST VOYAGE 97 



By the 26th of the month, very few of the crew were 

 well enough to do duty ; and on this day a tent was erected 

 for their reception. Tupia now requested to be conveyed to 



which I found to consist of two large islands extending from 34 to 

 48 of south latitude, both of which I circumnavigated. On the 

 1st of April, 1770, I quitted New Zealand and steered to the west- 

 ward until I fell in with the east coast of New Holland, in the 

 latitude of 38 south. I coasted the shore of this country to the 

 north, putting in at such places as I saw convenient, until we 

 arrived in the latitude of 15 45' south, where on the night of the 

 10th of June we struck upon a reef of rocks, where we lay twenty- 

 three hours and received some very considerable damage. This 

 proved a fatal stroke to the remainder of the voyage, as we were 

 obliged to take shelter in the first port we met with, where we 

 were detained repairing the damage we had sustained, until the 4th 

 of August, and after all put to sea with a leaky ship, and afterwards 

 coasted the shore to the northward through the most dangerous 

 navigation that ever perhaps ship was in, until the 22nd of same 

 month, when being in the latitude of 10 30' south, we found a 

 passage into the Indian Sea, between the northern extremity of 

 New Holland and New Guinea. After getting through this passage 

 I stood over for the coast of New Guinea, which we made on the 

 29th ; but as we found it absolutely necessary to heave the ship 

 down to stop her leak before we proceeded home, I made no stay 

 here, but quitted this coast on the 3rd of September, and made 

 the best of my way to Batavia, where we arrived on the 10th 

 instant, and soon after obtained leave of the governor and council 

 to be hove down at Onrust, where we have but just got alongside 

 of the wharf in order to take out our stores, etc. 



I send herewith a copy of my journal containing the proceedings 

 of the whole voyage, together with such charts as I have had time 

 to copy, which I judge will be sufficient for the present to illustrate 

 said journal. I have with undisguised truth and without gloss 

 inserted the whole transactions of the voyage, and made such 

 remarks and have given such description of things as I thought was 

 necessary, in the best manner I was capable of. Although the 

 discoveries made in this voyage are not great, I natter myself they 

 are such as may merit the attention of their Lordships. Although 

 I have failed in discovering the so much talked of southern continent, 

 which perhaps does not exist, and which I myself have much at 

 heart, yet I am confident that no part of the failure of such discovery 

 can be laid to my charge ; had we been so fortunate not to have run 

 ashore, much more would have been done in the latter part of the 

 voyage than what was ; but as it is, I presume this voyage will be 

 found as complete as any before made to the South Seas on the 

 same account. The plans I have drawn of the places where I 

 have been at were made with all the care and accuracy that time 

 and circumstances would admit of ; thus far I am certain that the 

 latitude and longitude of few parts of the world are better settled 

 than these. In this I was very much assisted by Mr. Green, who 

 let slip no opportunity for making observations for settling the 

 longitude during the whole course of the voyage, and the many 

 valuable discoveries made by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander in natural 

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