62 CAPTAIN COOK 



sumed a hostile attitude, attempting to prevent 

 the landing, and uttering formidable war cries. 

 A seaman fired at one of them and wounded 

 him in the head, which did not facilitate an un- 

 derstanding. The boat having rowed round the 

 island without finding a convenient bay in which 

 the Endeavour could anchor, Cook thought it 

 prudent to abandon the project of landing on 

 the island, the bellicose character of whose in- 

 habitants might have resulted in bloodshed. He 

 resumed his way southward, in order to reach, if 

 possible, that famous continent which the charts 

 called by the name of Terra Australis Incognita. 

 On August 26th the anniversary of the depart- 

 ure from England was celebrated on board by 

 the production, from a drawer where it had been 

 carefully preserved for this occasion, of a Chesh- 

 ire cheese. At the same time a barrel of 

 capital dark, beer was tapped. Four days later 

 a seaman died of congestion, after having con- 

 sumed half a bottle of rum. For seven weeks the 

 adventurers had no other horizon than the great 

 stretch of sea; but at last, on October 7th, high 

 land was sighted. They could make out a chain 

 of lofty mountains. What land was this? Most 

 of the officers declared that it was the great 

 southern continent Terra Australis Incognita. 

 Cook was soon to prove that the continent was 

 made up of two islands, which he annexed for 



