436 



THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA 



more happier than we Europeans, .being wholly unac- 

 quainted with the necessary conveniences so much sought 

 after in Europe ; they are happy in not knowing the use 

 of them." Banks expressed the same opinion ; but, 

 as we have seen, he had no wish to stay in New Holland 

 to learn the happiness of the simple life. 



A night- Meanwhile Cook had been tied to the ship, anxiously 



mare in . . . , . 



navigation, supervising repairs, and sending out boats to seek a channel 



among baffling shoals and reefs. He never found time 

 even to go to the head of the harbour. He climbed the 

 hills, however, and saw " a melancholy prospect of the 

 difficulties we are to encounter, for, in whatever direction 

 we looked, it was covered with shoals as far as the eye 

 could see." At last, on the 6th of August, he put to sea 

 to face one of the most dangerous tasks that has ever been 

 faced by seaman. He knew that the ship was in a bad 

 state, though happily he did not know how very bad its 

 state was. He had provisions only for three months, 

 at short allowance. He had to race against time through 

 a sea of which he had no knowledge save that, in the very 

 face of him, it bristled with difficulties and dangers. If 

 ever Cook in later years had bad dreams though I do 

 not believe he had they were probably founded on his 

 experiences between Endeavour River and Cape York. 

 The voyage was a nightmare in navigation. Probably 

 Cook did not dream about it; but he described it, in words 

 as true as they were simple, as " the most dangerous 

 navigation that perhaps ever ship was in." 



Cook sails Sending the pinnace ahead to sound, Cook kept a look- 



through the . 



Barrier Reef, out from the mast-head. He could see no passage ; 



nothing but breakers extending endlessly to sea. He 

 made a little way Northward, but his hopes were dis- 

 appointed by more reefs and breakers, " in a manner all 

 round us " ; and in hot bad temper he called one deceiving 

 headland " Cape Flattery." Landing on an island, he 

 climbed a high hill, whence he saw a reef of rocks, two 

 or three miles away, extending out of sight, on which the 

 sea broke very high. It was the outer edge of the Great 

 Barrier Reef. He saw several breaks in the reef, and he 



