The Endeavour hauled ashore. 
97 
it was well tailed, was full of fmall flones. As I was walk- 
ing this morning at a little dillance from the fhip, I faw my- 
felt one of the animals which had been fo often defcribed : it 
was of a light moule colour, and in fize and lhape very much 
refembling a greyhound ; it had a long tail alfo, which it 
carried like a greyhound ; and I fhould have taken it for a 
wild dog, if inltead of running, it had not leapt like a hare 
or deer : its legs were faid to be very llender, and the print 
of its foot to be like that of a goat ; but where 1 faw it the 
grafs was fo high that the legs were concealed, and the ground 
was too hard to receive the track. Mr. Banks alfo had an im- 
perfect view of this animal, and was of opinion that its fpe- 
cies was hitherto unknown. 
After the fhip was hauled afhore, all the water that came 
into her of courfe went backwards ; fo that although fhe was 
dry forward, fhe had nine feet water abaft : as in this part 
therefore her bottom could not be examined on the infidte, I 
took the advantage of the tide being out this evening to get 
the mafler and two of the men to go under her, and examine 
her whole larboard fide without. They found the flieathing 
gone about the floor heads abreaft of the mainmaft, and part of 
a plank a little damaged ; but all agreed that fhe had received 
no other material injury. The lofs of her fheathing alone 
was a great misfortune, as the worm would now be let into 
her bottom, which might expofe us to great inconvenience 
and danger ; but as I knew no remedy for the mifchief but 
heaving her down, which would be a work of immenfe labour 
and long time if practicable at all in our prefent fltuation, I 
was obliged to be content. The carpenters however conti- 
nued to work under her bottom in the evening till they were 
prevented by the tide ; the morning tide did not ebb out far 
enough to permit them to work at all, for we had only one 
tolerable high and low tide in four and twenty hours, as indeed 
we had experienced when we lay upon the rock. The pofition 
of the fhip, which threw the water in her abaft, was very- 
near depriving the world of all the knowledge which Mr. 
Banks had endured fo much labour, and fo many rifks, to pro- 
cure; for he had removed the curious collection of plants, 
which he made during the whole voyage, into the bread room, 
which lies ia the after part of the fhip, as a place of the greateft 
fecurity ; and nobody having thought of the danger to which 
laying her head fo much higher than the Hern would expofe 
them, they wei% this day found under water. Mod of them 
however were, by indefatigable care* and attention, reftored 
to a ftate of prefervation, but fome were entirely fpoilt and 
deftroyed. 
The 25 th was employed in Ailing water, and over-hauling 
the rigging, and at low water the carpenters iiniihed the re- 
Vo Lj II. I pairs 
