JUNE 1770 SHIP AFLOAT ENDEAVOUR RIVER 279 



utmost for the preservation of the ship, contrary to what I 

 have universally heard to be the behaviour of seamen, who 

 commonly, as soon as a ship is in a desperate situation, 

 begin to plunder and refuse all command. This was no 

 doubt owing to the cool and steady conduct of the officers, 

 who, during the whole time, never gave an order which did 

 not show them to be perfectly composed and unmoved by the 

 circumstances, however dreadful they might appear. 



14:th. The captain and I went ashore to view a harbour, 

 and found it indeed beyond our most sanguine wishes. It 

 was the mouth of a river, 1 the entrance of which was, to be 

 sure, narrow enough and shallow, but when once in, the 

 ship might be moved afloat so near the shore, that by a 

 stage from her to it all her cargo might be got out and in 

 again in a very short time. In this same place she might 

 be hove down with all ease, but the beach showed signs of 

 the tides rising in the springs six or seven feet, which was 

 more than enough to do our business without that trouble. 



1 6th. Tupia had for the last few days bad gums, which 

 were very soon followed by livid spots on his legs and every 

 symptom of inveterate scurvy. Notwithstanding acid, bark, 

 and every medicine our surgeon could give him, he became 

 now extremely ill. Mr. Green, the astronomer, was also in 

 a very poor way, which made everybody in the cabin very 

 desirous of getting ashore, and impatient at our tedious 

 delays. 



1*7 th. Weather a little less rough than it had been the 

 last few days ; weighed and brought the ship in, but in 

 doing so ran her ashore twice by the narrowness of the 

 channel ; the second time she remained till the tide lifted 

 her off. In the meantime Dr. Solander and I began our 

 plant -gathering. In the evening the ship was moored 

 within twenty feet of the shore, afloat, and before night 

 much lumber was got out of her. 



18^. A stage built from the ship much facilitated our 

 undertakings. In walking about the country I saw the old 

 frames of Indian houses, and places where they had dressed 



1 Endeavour River. 



