430 THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



himself to write : " In justice to the ship's company 

 I must say that no men ever behaved better than they 

 had done on this occasion ; animated by the behaviour 

 of every gentleman on board, every man seemed to have 

 a just sense of the danger we were in, and exerted himself 

 to the utmost." Banks, who had worked with the rest 

 for twenty-four hours till he was " much fatigued," writes 

 in livelier language : " The seamen worked with sur- 

 prising cheerfulness and alacrity ; no grumbling or growling 

 was to be heard throughout the ship, not even an oath, 

 though the ship was in general as well furnished with 

 them as most in His Majesty's service." Their conduct 

 seemed to Banks not only admirable but also somewhat 

 surprising, for, " as soon as a ship is in desperate situation," 

 the seamen, so he had always heard, " commonly begin 

 to plunder and refuse all command." He attributed 

 their virtue on this occasion to " the cool and steady 

 conduct of the officers, who, during the whole time, never 

 gave an order that did not show them to be perfectly 

 composed and unmoved by the circumstances, however 

 dreadful they might appear." Both officers and gentlemen 

 proved themselves heroes. But let us not miss this oppor- 

 tunity to do justice to the seamen of the Endeavour. They 

 were not wholly heroes. They got drunk whenever 

 they could get drink. They had "tapped" every cask 

 of wine on board, says Banks. They grumbled, and 

 growled, and swore. Yet they were at least able to see 

 something heroic in the man who ruled them, and to 

 strive bravely and faithfully for their ship in face of 

 appalling danger. 



Pothering. j^g Je^ though less, still gave anxiety, and it was decided 

 to " fother " the ship. Cook gave the job to Midshipman 

 Monkhouse, who had seen the process in use. Banks 

 describes it in detail. A large quantity of finely chopped 

 oakum and wool was loosely stitched to a sail, which was 

 sunk under the ship. The expectation was that the oakum 

 and wool would be sucked into the leak, and would 

 close it. The experiment was entirely successful. " In 

 about a quarter of an hour to our great surprise the ship 



