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which had rifen and broke to a wonderful height on the rock; but, in the moment theyexpe&ed inftant deftrudtion, a breeze, hardly difcernible, aided the boats in getting theveffel in an oblique direction from the rock. The hopes, however, afforded by thisprovidential circumftance, were deftroyed by a perfect calm, which fucceeded in a fewminutes ; yet the breeze once more returned before they had loft the little groundwhich had been gained.
At this time a fmall opening was feen in the reef, and a young officer being fent toexamine it, found that its breadth did not much exceed the length of the ffiip, but thatthere was fmooth water on the other fide of the rocks. Animated by the hope ofpreferving life, they now attempted to pafs the opening ; but this was impoffible; forit having become high water in the interim, the ebb tide ruffied through it withamazing impetuofity, carrying the ffiip about a quarter of a mile from the reef, andffie foon reached the diftance of two miles by the help of the boats. When the ebbtide was fpent, the tide of flood again drove the veffel very near the rocks ; fo thattheir profpect of deftruction was renewed, when they difcovered another opening, anda light breeze fpringing up, they entered it, and were driven through it with a rapiditythat prevented the ffiip from ftriking againft either fide of the channel. The ffiip nowcame to an anchor, and her crew were grateful for having regained a ftation whichthey had been very lately moft anxious to quit.
The name of Providential Channel was given to the opening through which thefliip had thus efcaped the moft imminent dangers. A high promontory on the mainland in fight was denominated Cape Weymouth, and a bay near it Weymouth Bay-This day the boats went out to fiffi, and met with great fuccefs, particularly in catchingcockles ; fome of which were of fuch an amazing fize, as to require the ftrength oftwo men to move them. Mr. Banks likewife fucceeded in his fearch for rare ffiells?and different kinds of coral.
On the 21ft feveral iflands were difcovered, which were called York Ifles. In theafternoon they anchored between fome iflands, and obferved that the channel nowbegan to grow wider. They obferved two diftant points, between which no land couldbe feen; fo that the hope of having at length explored a paffage into the Indian Sea began to animate every breaft.
The captain and his company now afcended a hill upon one of thefe iflands, fro®whence they had a view of near forty miles, in which fpace there was nothing thatthreatened to oppofe their paffage; fo that the certainty of a channel feemed to bealmoft afcertained. Previous to their leaving the ifland, Captain Cook difplayed theEngliffi colours, and took poffeffion of all the eaftern coaft of the country, from thethirty eighth degree of fouth latitude, to the prefent fpot, by the name of New SouthWales, for his Sovereign the King of Great Britain j and the place received the na® eof Poffeffion Ifland.
They were now advanced to the northern extremity of New Holland, and had thefatisfaftion of viewing the open fea to the weftward. The north-eaft entrance of thepaffage is formed by the main land of New Holland, and by a number of iflands?which took the name of the Prince of Wales’s Iflands, and which Captain Cooimagines may reach to New Guinea . To the paffage which they had failed through?Captain Cook gave the name of Endeavour Streights.
New South Wales is a much larger country than any hitherto known, which is nodeemed a continent, being larger than all Europe ; which is proved by the Endeavohaving coafted more than two thoufand miles, even if her tradt was reduced to a ft ra 'S