of
civilised men. This great fact was, after all, the most important
result of the voyage.

The condition of the Endeavour had, by this time, become very critical.
So battered were her lower timbers and planks, and so out of order were
her pumps, that a heavy sea might at any moment have sent her to the
bottom. It was absolutely necessary to find a harbour where she might
be hove down to undergo a complete refit. Under these circumstances the
commander of the expedition determined to go to Batavia, the capital of
the Dutch settlements in the island of Java, and at that time the centre
of commerce in those seas. He had, indeed, no option, for there was not
another port which he could hope to reach, where the ship would receive
the necessary repairs. He was not, indeed, ignorant of the
unhealthiness of the climate; but he hoped not to be detained there
long, and that his hardy crew would be able for a short time to
withstand its ill effects.

The first island of any size which the Endeavour sighted after leaving
New Guinea was Timor, along the shore of which she coasted.
Notwithstanding the wishes of some of his officers, Captain Cook
declined to put in there, as he was anxious to reach Batavia without
delay. Between that island and Java, however, he fell in with a small
island, which at first he thought was a new discovery; but on steering
for it, and getting close in with the north side, houses, plantations,
and numerous flocks of sheep were seen. The temptation of obtaining
fresh meat and vegetables was not to be resisted, as there were many
sick on board; and accordingly Mr Gore was sent on shore to open a
communication with the natives. Two persons were seen riding on the
hills as if for their amusement, and often stopping to look at the ship.
This made the voyagers suspect that there must be a settlement of
Europeans on the island. Such was in fact the case. The Dutch East
India Company had a short time before taken possession of it, and sent a
resident to superintend their affairs, though the native rajah or chief
was still retained as the nominal ruler of the island. This island
proved to be Savu, at that time so little known that it was not to be
found on any of the charts on board. It is about thirty miles long, and
was then very thickly populated.

In the evening the ship entered a bay before a large native town, over
which the Dutch colours were flying, and three guns were fired. The
native ch