, and
made it appear that the leak had gained this upon the pumps in a short
time. This mistake was no sooner cleared up than it acted upon every man
like a Charm; they redoubled their vigour, insomuch that before 8 o'clock
in the morning they gained considerably upon the leak.* (* The
circumstance related in this paragraph is from the Admiralty copy.) We
now hove up the Best Bower, but found it impossible to save the small
Bower, so cut it away at a whole Cable; got up the Fore topmast and
Foreyard, warped the Ship to the South-East, and at 11 got under sail,
and stood in for the land, with a light breeze at East-South-East. Some
hands employ'd sewing Oakham, Wool, etc., into a Lower Steering sail to
fother the Ship; others employ'd at the Pumps, which still gain'd upon
the Leak.

[Fothering the Ship.]

Wednesday, 13th. In the P.M. had light Airs at East-South-East, with
which we keept edging in for the Land. Got up the Maintopmast and
Mainyard, and having got the Sail ready for fothering of the Ship, we put
it over under the Starboard Fore Chains, where we suspected the Ship had
suffer'd most, and soon after the Leak decreased, so as to be keept clear
with one Pump with ease; this fortunate circumstance gave new life to
every one on board.

It is much easier to conceive than to discribe the satisfaction felt by
everybody on this occasion. But a few minutes before our utmost Wishes
were to get hold of some place upon the Main, or an island, to run the
Ship ashore, where out of her Materials we might build a Vessel to carry
us to the East Indies; no sooner were we made sencible that the outward
application to the Ship's bottom had taken effect, than the field of
every Man's hopes inlarged, so that we thought of nothing but ranging
along Shore in search of a Harbour, when we could repair the Damages we
had sustained.* (* The foregoing paragraph is from the Admiralty copy.
The situation was indeed sufficiently awkward. When it is considered that
the coast was wholly unknown, the natives decidedly hostile, the land
unproductive of any means of subsistence, and the distance to the nearest
Dutch settlements, even if a passage should be found south of New Guinea,
1500 miles, there was ample cause for apprehension if they could not save
the ship. Knowing what we now know, that all off this coast is a
continuous line of reefs and shoals, Cook's action in standing off might
seem rash. But he knew nothing of this. There was a