DISCOVERY OF EASTERN AUSTRALIA 431 



was pumped dry, and, upon letting the pumps stand, 

 she was found to make very little water." 



The boats were sent to look for a harbour, and returned The 

 with good news. They had found the mouth of a river, 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 

 the cargo might be got out and in again in a short time." 

 Entangled among shoals, Cook cautiously groped towards 

 the opening. Twice in the narrow channel the ship ran 

 ashore. But, " by the evening, she was moored within 

 twenty feet of the shore, and before night much lumber 

 was taken out of her." 



On the 22nd of June, at the place where Cooktown Repairs, 

 now stands, the Endeavour was beached and examined. 

 It was found that the hole was large enough " to have sunk 

 a ship with twice our pumps. . . . The coral rock had cut 

 through the plank, and deep into one of the timbers, 

 smoothing the gashes before it, so that the whole might 

 easily be imagined to have been cut with an axe." Then 

 the rock had broken off, and had plugged the hole with 

 a stone as big as a man's fist. Hence the miracle that 

 the ship when hauled off had not sunk. The sheathing 

 had been torn off, which, Cook feared, would " let the 

 worm into her bottom, and be of bad consequence." But 

 no thorough repair, no thorough examination even, could 

 now be made. Cook did his best to believe the assurances 

 of the " master " and the carpenter that no very serious 

 damage had beeii done. He had to sail the ship to Batavia 

 " through an unknown and perhaps dangerous sea," 

 and he could only hope that she would get there. What 

 repairs were possible were finished by the 26th of June. 

 But they failed to get the ship afloat till the 4th of July. 

 Cook was ready to put to sea on the 2lst. But persistent 

 South-East winds prevented sailing till the 6th of August. A winged 



It was a happy month for Banks. He and Solander evl ' 

 were already ashore " plant-gathering," while the Endeavour 

 was blundering up the Channel, and they enjoyed every 

 hour. It was a time of zoological romance. A seaman 



