DISCOVERY OF EASTERN AUSTRALIA 449 



and, when they actually saw before them " a flock of cattle Roast beef 

 grazing," the demand for roast beef became irresistible, at avu ' 

 and even the austere captain had to consent. The Dutch 

 Factor allowed him to buy buffaloes at an extortionate 

 price. But he complained that the English were far 

 too inquisitive about spices. And, indeed, Parkinson 

 the draughtsman afterwards boasted that he had taken 

 nutmegs and cloves ashore, and had ascertained that 

 the people were acquainted with them. 



Then Cook groped the way to the Straits of Sunda. Batavia, 

 He complained that either his Longitude was wrong, ^*' ^ 

 or that the Straits were faultily placed in all the charts. 

 The fact was that his Longitude was wrong by three 

 degrees ; a fact that shows how impossible it was to 

 determine Longitude even by the highest seamanship of the 

 day, and makes one marvel once more that so many ships 

 came home. On the 4th of October he was off Java, 

 and got the news of the day, or rather of the year, from 

 a Dutch ship. It was that " the Government in England 

 was in the utmost disorder, the people crying up and 

 down the streets ' Down with King George ! King Wilkes 

 for ever ! ' ", that " the Americans had refused to pay taxes 

 of any kind, and an English army had been sent to deal 

 with the rebellion." He anchored at Batavia on the nth 

 of October. 1 He declared, with an economy of truth, 

 that he came " from Europe." 



It was evident that the Endeavour could not proceed Repairs 

 without thorough examination and thorough repair. 

 Cook found, to x his great annoyance, that it would be 

 necessary to place her in the hands of the Dutch ship- 

 wrights. The ship was shown to be in a condition far 

 worse than had been supposed. " In one place two and 

 a half planks near six feet long were within ^ inch of being 

 cut through ; and here the worms had made their way 



1 " Wednesday, loth, according to our reckoning, but by the people 

 here Thursday, nth." He dated the next day Friday, i2th. See 

 above, p. 413, note 2. 



The red ink with which the dates are marked gradually grows paler. 

 From 6th October a brilliant dark red ink appears, drawn, no doubt, 

 from a bottle bought in Batavia. 



