AUG. 1770 TORRES STRAITS 29 



As we were now safe at an anchor, the boats were sent upon 

 the nearest shoal to search for shell-fish, turtle, or whatever 

 else they could get; Dr. Solander and I accompanied them 

 in my small boat. On our way we met with two water- 

 snakes, one five and the other six feet long : we took them 

 both. They much resembled land snakes, only their tails 

 were flattened sideways, I suppose, for the convenience of 

 swimming, and they were not venomous. The shoal we 

 went upon was the very reef we had so nearly been lost 

 upon yesterday, now no longer terrible to us. It afforded 

 little provision for the ship, no turtle, only 300 Ibs. of great 

 cockles ; some of an immense size. We had in the way of 

 curiosity much better success, meeting with many curious 

 fish and mollusca, besides corals of many species, all alive, 

 among which was the Tulipora musica. I have often 

 lamented that we had not time to make proper observations 

 upon this curious tribe of animals ; but we were so entirely 

 taken up with the more conspicuous links of the chain of 

 creation, as fish, plants, birds, etc. etc., that it was impossible. 



21st. We observed both last night and this morning that 

 the main looked very narrow, 1 so we began to look out for 

 the passage we expected to find between New Holland and 

 New Guinea. At noon one was seen, very narrow but 

 appearing to widen ; we resolved to try it, so stood in. The 

 anchor was dropped, and we went ashore 2 to examine whether 

 the place we stood into was a bay or a passage ; for as we 

 sailed right before the trade-wind, we might find difficulty 

 in getting out, should it prove to be the former. The hill 

 gave us the satisfaction of seeing a strait, at least as far 

 as we could see, without any obstructions : in the evening 

 a strong tide made us almost certain. 3 



26th. Fine weather and clear fresh trade: stood to the 

 W. and deepened our water from 13 to 2*7 fathoms. 



1 York Peninsula. 2 On Possession Island. 



3 Banks does not allude to Cook having here hoisted English colours 

 and taken possession of the whole east coast of Australia from 38 S. to 

 Cape York in the name of the king, as he had of several other places along 

 the coast (Wharton's Cook, p. 312). Neither Cook nor Banks was aware that 

 Torres had sailed through these straits in 1606 (see p. li.) 



