Part 9 (1/2)
On 10th June, after leaving a small bay north of Cape Grafton, where they had searched in vain for a watering place, the watch had just turned in, the lead had been cast and given seventeen fathoms, when the unfortunate s.h.i.+p brought all hands on deck, with a crash on a sunken rock. Soundings taken all round showed her to be on the very edge of a coral reef. Making but little water, an attempt was made to warp her off, but unsuccessfully. Steps were then taken to lighten her; decayed stores, oil jars, staves, casks, ballast, and her six quarter-deck guns were thrown overboard, some forty to fifty tons, but with no effect. The tide now rising, the leaks increased rapidly, two pumps being kept constantly at work. Thinking things could only go from bad to worse, Cook determined to heave her off at all hazards, and every one who could be spared from the pumps was sent to the capstan or windla.s.s, and at length, after a stay of twenty-three hours on the rocks, she was hove into deep water. Now, however, it was a case of all hands to the pumps, and for a time it seemed as if they were slowly gaining on the in-rus.h.i.+ng water, but suddenly there was an increase reported in the well, casting a shadow of gloom over all, but not for an instant staying the steady beat of the pumps. Shortly it was discovered that a fresh hand had been sent to the well and had sounded from a different mark than his predecessor, accounting for the sixteen to eighteen inches difference in the depth of water reported. This discovery acted like a charm: each one redoubled his exertions, and by morning they had gained considerably on the leak, so sail was made, and they slowly crawled in towards the land.
Mids.h.i.+pman Monkhouse had been on a s.h.i.+p which was leaking at the rate of forty-eight inches per hour, and had seen the operation called ”fothering” so successfully performed on her, that, without further repair, she had sailed from Virginia to London. This being brought to Cook's ear, he gave Monkhouse the charge of carrying out a similar experiment. A studding sail was taken, on which oak.u.m and wool was lightly sewn and smothered with dirt; it was then lowered over the bows and dragged by ropes over the place where the worst of the leak was situated, and there secured, with the result, according to Banks, that in a quarter of an hour after it was in position they were able to pump the s.h.i.+p clear, and Cook says one pump was sufficient to keep her free.
Of the conduct of the crew, Cook says:
”In justice to the s.h.i.+p's company, I must say that no men ever behaved better than they have done on this occasion; animated by the behaviour of every Gentleman on board, every man seem'd to have a just sense of the Danger we were in, and exerted himself to the very utmost.”
Banks adds his testimony:
”Every man exerts his utmost for the preservation of the s.h.i.+p. The officers during the whole time never gave an order that did not show them to be perfectly composed and unmoved by the circ.u.mstances, however dreadful they might appear.”
A point off which the reef was situated was given the suggestive name of Cape Tribulation, and some small islands near, Hope Islands, because, as Cook says, he hoped, at the time of their greatest danger, they might be able to reach them. What a prospect to hope for! No possibility of ever seeing a friendly sail, and but little probability of ever being able to reach a civilised port.
THE ENDEAVOUR RIVER.
A boat sent off to search for some spot where temporary repairs could be executed, soon returned and reported a small river had been found which appeared suitable. This was the Endeavour River, and into it the s.h.i.+p was safely taken, and deep water being found close to the bank, a stage was rigged, and most of the stores and ballast were taken on sh.o.r.e; a hospital was erected for the sick, ”which amounted at this time to some eight or nine afflicted with different disorders, but none very dangerously ill.” Green and Tupia were showing symptoms of scurvy, but the remainder appear to have been free from it.
As soon as the s.h.i.+p was sufficiently lightened she was warped a little further up the river, and at the top of the tide her bows were hauled well into the bank, so that when the tide fell they were able to examine the leak. The damage was found to be very serious; the rock had cut through four planks into the timbers, and three other planks had been badly injured. The manner in which the s.h.i.+p had been injured was ”hardy credible, scarce a splinter was to be seen, but the whole was cut away as if done with a blunt-edged tool.” A piece of the rock was found wedged in the hole, and had greatly a.s.sisted in arresting the influx of water. The sheathing and false keel were very badly damaged, but it was believed that she was not much injured aft, as she made but little water when once the main wound was dry.
At what is believed to be the exact spot at which the Endeavour was beached, a monument has been erected by the inhabitants of Cooktown, a seaport now at the mouth of the river.
There being no danger from the natives the crew were allowed as much liberty as possible, and a good supply of fish, a few pigeons and a small quant.i.ty of vegetables, in the shape of yam tops, cabbage palm, and wild plantains, had a very beneficial effect on their health. The longitude was calculated from an observation of ”the Emersion of Jupiter's First Satelite,” as 214 degrees 42 minutes 30 seconds West, which Wharton remarks on as being an excellent observation, the true longitude being 214 degrees 45 minutes West.
INCENDIARISM BY BLACKS.
On 4th July the good s.h.i.+p was afloat again, so well repaired that only about an inch of water per hour was taken in, easily kept under by the pumps. She was laid over on a sandbank on the opposite side of the river and more carefully examined, the sheathing being found to be very badly damaged. The carpenter, in whom Cook had every confidence, reported that, with the means at his disposal, he could not make a satisfactory job, but he thought they might push on to some place where greater facilities could be obtained. She was therefore taken alongside the staging, the stores and ballast replaced, everything got ready for the prosecution of the voyage, and the Master sent off in the pinnace to look for a pa.s.sage to the north-east; but was unsuccessful. He was again sent out, but again reported badly; the shoals appeared to get worse the further he went. He, however, brought back with him three turtles weighing about 800 pounds, which were most welcome as the crew had now been some months without fresh meat; a second trip to where these were caught resulted in getting three or four more, and a large supply of sh.e.l.l-fish. They had made several attempts to get on good terms with the few natives they had seen, and on one occasion two or three who were fis.h.i.+ng had a long and animated conversation with Tupia, in which neither party could understand the other, though one or two were persuaded to visit the camp. Shortly before the last of the stores were taken in, Cook and Banks received friendly overtures from a small party, and ten of them visited the s.h.i.+p. They were offered various gifts, but seemed to set little value on anything except the turtles. They made signs they wanted them, and when they found these signs ignored, attempted to carry off two, and when their aim was frustrated, went ash.o.r.e to where some of the crew were at work. One of them took a lighted stick from under the pitch kettle, and, making a wide circuit round the place, fired the gra.s.s as he ran. Fortunately there were not many things left ash.o.r.e, and the powder had just been safely got on board, so the most serious damage appears to have been the premature roasting of a young pig. They then went off to where others of the crew were was.h.i.+ng, and drying the fis.h.i.+ng nets, and another attempt was made to burn the gra.s.s; but a charge of small shot caused a retreat, and on their way they set fire to the undergrowth to cover their repulse. Banks was greatly impressed with the manner in which the gra.s.s and undergrowth burnt, and declared he would never pitch tents again without first burning the gra.s.s for some distance round.
Gore, Banks, and three men made a few days' excursion up the river, but, with the exception of a kangaroo being shot by Gore, the first ever killed by a European, they met with nothing worth noting. On 18th July Cook, Banks, and Solander went up a hill some six or eight miles along the coast to see if they could form any idea of the general run of the coast and the surrounding reefs, and Cook says: ”In whatever direction we looked, it [the sea] was covered with shoals as far as the eye could see.”
Before leaving the river, Banks gives some notes as to the country, and puts it down as ”in every respect the most barren country we have yet seen.” The animals were not numerous; he gives kangaroo, wolf (the dingo or native dog), bats (flying foxes), wild cats (dasyurus), and opossums.
Amongst the birds, several kinds of duck, s.h.a.gs, pelicans, crows, and flock pigeons, all, with the exception of the last, difficult to shoot.
Of the crow he says: ”A crow in England though in general sufficiently wary is, I must say, a fool to a New Holland crow.” None of the beasts or birds seem to have come amiss to the pot; all that was necessary was the meat should not be salt, ”that alone was sufficient to make it a delicacy.” He quotes the description given by a sailor of an animal he saw:
”It was as black as the devil and had wings, indeed I took it for the devil, or I might have catched it, for it crawled away very slowly through the gra.s.s.”
After some little trouble Banks discovered this to have been a large bat (flying fox). Of the insect life seen, he was particularly struck by the white ants and their nests, and formed a very respectful opinion of the mosquito.
Cook's opinion agrees fairly well with that of Banks, but on the whole he thought the east coast was not so barren and desolate as Dampier had described the west coast, and adds:
”We are to consider that we see this country in the pure state of nature; the Industry of Man has had nothing to do with any part of it, and yet we find all such things as Nature hath bestowed upon it, in a flouris.h.i.+ng state. In this Extensive Country, it can never be doubted, but what most sorts of grain, Fruit, roots, etc., of every kind would flourish here were they once brought hither, planted and cultivated by the hands of Industry; and here are provender for more cattle, at all seasons of the year, than ever can be brought into the country.”
This is a fair example of the observations and deductions to be found scattered through Cook's Journals, and an improvement on the would-be scientific and cla.s.sical rubbish put into his mouth by his editors.
A MASTHEAD WATCH.
At last, on 4th August, they got away from the Endeavour River, only to find themselves surrounded by difficulties. Cook or one of the other officers was continually at the masthead on the look-out, and at length, by keeping very close in sh.o.r.e, they managed to creep past Cape Flattery, and thought the worst was over, but a landing at Point Lookout showed a very unsatisfactory prospect. In hopes of getting a better view Cook went out to Lizard Island, and from there could see, far away to the east, the white breakers on the Great Barrier Reef. This island, on which the only living things to be seen were lizards, they found, from the large piles of sh.e.l.ls and remains of fires, was visited periodically by the blacks; a remarkable voyage for their miserable canoes.
Having only three months' supplies at short allowance left, Cook, after a consultation with his officers, made out through an opening in the Barrier Reef that he had seen from Lizard Island, and observes: