CHAPTER XII 
AUSTRALIA (ENDEAVOUR RIVER) TO TORRES STRAITS 
JUNE 20—Aveust 26, 1770 
Pumice-stone—Ship laid ashore—Kangooroos seen—White ants—Preserving 
plants—Chama gigas—Fruits thrown up on the beach—Excursion 
up the country—Making friends with the Indians—A kangooroo killed— 
Turtle—Indians attempt to steal turtle and fire the grass—Didelphis— 
Among the shoals and islands—Lizard Island—Signs of natives cross- 
ing from the mainland—Ship passes through Cook’s passage—Outside 
the grand reef—Ship almost driven on to the reef by the tides—Passes 
inside the reef again—Corals—Straits between Australia and New Guinea. 
June 20th. Observed that in many parts of the inlet, a good 
way above the high-water mark, were large quantities of 
pumice-stones probably carried there by freshes or extra- 
ordinarily high tides, as they certainly came from the 
sea. Before night the ship was lightened, and we observed 
with great pleasure that the springs, which were now 
beginning to lift, rose as high as we could wish. 
21st. Fine clear weather ; began to-day to lay plants in 
sand! By night the ship was quite clear, and in the night’s 
tide (which we had constantly observed to be much higher 
than the day’s) we hauled her ashore. 
22nd. In the morning I saw her leak, which was very 
large: in the middle was a hole large enough to have sunk 
a ship with twice our pumps, but here Providence had most 
visibly worked in our favour, for it was in a great measure 
plugged up by a stone as big as a man’s fist. Round the 
edges of this stone had all the water come in, which had so 
1 A mode of preserving for herbarium purposes. 
