CHAPTEE XII 



AUSTRALIA (ENDEAVOUR RIVER) TO TORRES STRAITS 

 JUNE 20 AUGUST 26, 1770 



Pumice-stone Ship laid ashore Kangooroos seen White ants Preserving 

 plants Chama gigas Fruits thrown up on the beach Excursion 

 up the country Making friends with the Indians A kangooroo killed 

 Turtle Indians attempt to steal turtle and fire the grass Didelphis 

 Among the shoals and islands Lizard Island Signs of natives cross- 

 ing from the mainland Ship passes through Cook's passage Outside 

 the grand reef Ship almost driven on to the reef by the tides Passes 

 inside the reef again Corals Straits between Australia and New Guinea. 



June 20th. Observed that in many parts of the inlet, a good 

 way above the high-water mark, were large quantities of 

 pumice-stones probably carried there by freshes or extra- 

 ordinarily high tides, as they certainly came from the 

 sea. Before night the ship was lightened, and we observed 

 with great pleasure that the springs, which were now 

 beginning to lift, rose as high as we could wish. 



21st. Fine clear weather; began to-day to lay plants in 

 sand. 1 By night the ship was quite clear, and in the night's 

 tide (which we had constantly observed to be much higher 

 than the day's) we hauled her ashore. 



22ra2. In the morning I saw her leak, which was very 

 large : in the middle was a hole large enough to have sunk 

 a ship with twice our pumps, but here Providence had most 

 visibly worked in our favour, for it was in a great measure 

 plugged up by a stone as big as a man's fist. Bound the 

 edges of this stone had all the water come in, which had so 



1 A mode of preserving for herbarium purposes. 



