were gone Dr Solander and myself went out in the boat and shot one species of Mother Careys chickens and two shearwaters, both proved new, Procellaria Gigantea and sandaliata. The Carey was one but ill described by Linnaeus, Procellaria fregata. While we were out the people were employed in bending the new set of sails for Cape Horn.
25 Christmas day; all good Christians that is to say all hands got abominably drunk so that at night there was scarce a sober man in the ship, wind thank God very moderate or the lord knows what would have become of us.
By that time the Endeavour was well down in the South Atlantic, in cold waters immensely rich in all forms of life from plankton to whales, and now they began to see much greater numbers of birds, petrels of many, many kinds, shearwaters, albatrosses of several species: for in the new year they were coming into a new world entirely.
January 1769
1 New years day today made us pass many Compts, and talk much of our hopes for success in the year 69. Many whales were about the ship today and much sea weed in large lumps but none near enough to be caught.
In the Evening rather squally; the true sea green colour upon the surface of the water was often to be seen now between the squalls, or rather under the black clouds when they were about half a mile from the ship. I had often heard of it before but never seen it in any such perfection, indeed most of the seamen said the same, it was very bright and perfectly like the stone calld aquamarine.
They paid for their pretty sea, however: they were in the latitude of the Falklands at this point (indeed, Banks hoped they might land there) and the wind began to blow strong and cold – their first real touch of antarctic weather with its enormous gales and monstrous seas. Magellan jackets made of thick wool were served out to all hands, and Banks put on thick trousers and a flannel jacket and waistcoat. Seals and penguins appeared, and Banks thought it probable that he had seen a black bird described by Linnaeus as Procellaria aequinoctialis, but he could not quite make out the colour of its bill. Everyone was agreed that “the ship during this gale has shewn her excellence in laying too remarkably well, shipping scarce any water tho it blew at times vastly strong; the seamen in general say that they never knew a ship lay too so well as this does, so lively and at the same time so easy.”
For the next few days the weather was kinder; the Endeavour sailed south among seals, albatrosses, dolphins and diving petrels, and then Banks wrote in his journal
11 This morn at day break saw the land of Tierra del Fuego, by 8 O’Clock we were well in with it, the weather exceedingly moderate. Its appearance was not near so barren as the writer of Ld Ansons voyage has represented it, the weather exceedingly moderate so we stood along shore about 2 leagues off, we could see trees distinctly through our glasses and observe several smokes made probably by the natives as a signal to us. The captain now resolved to put in here if he can find a convenient harbour and give us an opportunity of searching a country so intirely new.
Because of foul winds and the furious tides that drove the ship out of the strait Le Maire between Staten Island and Tierra del Fuego three times, this could not be done until 14 January, when Banks and Solander went ashore for four hours while Cook stood on and off, there being no holding ground for an anchor. They found about a hundred plants, all of them “new and intirely different from what either of us had before seen”, as well as the antiscorbutic Winter’s bark, wild celery and scurvy grass. But the next day was much better; they anchored in the Bay of Good Success after dinner and made contact with the timid but quite amiable natives: “Dr Solander and myself then walked forward 100 yards before the rest and two of the Indians advanc’d also and set themselves down about 50 yards from their companions. As soon as we came up they rose and each of them threw a stick he had in his hand away from him and us, as a token no doubt of peace, they then walked briskly towards the other party and wavd to us to follow, which we did and were receivd with many uncouth signs of friendship. We distributed among them a number of Beads and ribbands which we had brought ashore for that purpose at which they seem’d mightily pleased.” The journal goes on:
16 This morn very early Dr Solander and myself with our servants and two Seamen to assist in carrying baggage, accompanied by Msrs Monkhouse and Green, set out from the ship to try to penetrate into the countrey as far as we could, and if possible gain the tops of the hills where alone we saw places not overgrown with trees. We began to enter the woods at a small sandy beach a little to the westward of the watering place and continued pressing through pathless thickets, always going up hill, till 3 o’Clock before we gained even a near view of the places we intended to go to. The weather had all this time been vastly fine much like a sunshiny day in May, so that neither heat nor cold was troublesome to us nor were there any insects to molest us, which made me think the travelling much better than what I had before met with in Newfoundland.
Soon after we saw the plains we arrived at them, but found to our great disappointment that what we took for swathe was no better than low bushes of birch about reaching a mans middle; these were so stubborn that they could not be bent out of the way, but at every step the leg must be lifted over them and on being plac’d again on the ground was almost sure to sink above the anckles in bog. No travelling could possibly be worse than this which seemd to last about a mile, beyond which we expected to meet with bare rock, for such had we seen from the tops of lower hills as we came: this I particularly was infinitely eager to arrive at expecting there to find the alpine plants of a countrey so curious. Our people tho rather fatigued were yet in good spirits so we pushd on intending to rest ourselves as soon as we should arrive at plain ground.
We proceeded two thirds of the way without the least difficulty and I confess I thought for my part that all difficulties were surmounted when Mr Buchan fell into a fit. A fire was immediately lit for him and with him all those who were most tird remained behind, while Dr Solander Mr Green Mr Monkhouse and myself advancd for the alp which we reachd almost immediately, and found according to expectation plants which answerd to those we had found before as alpine ones in Europe do to those which we find in the plains.
The air was here very cold and we had frequent snow blasts. I had now intirely given over all thoughts of reaching the ship that night and thought of nothing but getting into the thick of the wood and making a fire, which as our road lay all down hill seemd very easy to accomplish, so Msrs Green and Monkhouse returnd to the people and appointed a hill for our general rendezvous from whence we should proceed and build our wigwam. The cold now increasd apace, it might be near 8 O’Clock tho yet exceedingly good daylight so we proceeded for the nearest valley, where the short Birch, the only thing we now dreaded, could not be ½ a mile over. Our people seemd well despite the cold and Mr Buchan was stronger than we could have expected. I undertook to bring up the rear and see that no one was left behind. We passd about half way very well when the cold seemd to have at once an effect infinitely beyond what I have ever experienced. Dr Solander was the first who felt it, he said he could not go any farther but must lay down, tho the ground was coverd with snow, and down he laid notwithstanding all I could say to the contrary. Richmond a black Servant now began also to lag and was much in the same way as the dr: at this Juncture I dispatched 5 forwards of whom Mr Buchan was one to make ready a fire at the very first convenient place they could find, while myself with 4 more staid behind to persuade if possible the dr and Richmond to come on. With much persuasion and intreaty we got through much the largest part of the Birch when they both gave out; Richmond said that he could not go any further and when told that if he did not he must be Froze to death only answerd that there he would lay and dye; the Dr on the contrary said that he must sleep a little before he could go on and actually did full a quarter of an hour, at which time we had the welcome news of a fire being lit about a quarter of a mile ahead. I then undertook to make the Dr Proceed to it; finding it impossible to make Richmond stir left two hands with him who seemd the least affected with Cold, promising to send two to releive them as soon as I should reach the fire. With much difficulty I got the Dr to it and as soon as two people were sufficiently warmd sent them out in hopes that they would bring Richmond and the rest; after staying about half an
