to Tasman. For six
months he examined their shores, sailing completely round both islands
and making excellent maps of them.

Then, saying good-bye to these coasts at what he named Cape Farewell, he
sailed westward for three weeks, until his outlook man raised the cry of
"land," and they were close to the shores of Australia at Cape Howe.
Standing to the north-east, he sailed along the coast till he reached a
fine bay, where he anchored for about ten days. On his first landing he
was opposed by two of the natives, who seemed quite ready to encounter
more than forty armed men. Cook endeavoured to gain their good-will, but
without success. A musket fired between them startled, but did not
dismay them; and when some small shot was fired into the legs of one of
them, though he turned and ran into his hut, it was only for the purpose
of putting on a shield and again facing the white men. Cook made many
subsequent attempts to be friendly with the natives, but always without
success. He examined the country for a few miles inland, and two of his
scientific friends--Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander--made splendid
collections of botanical specimens. From this circumstance the place was
called Botany Bay, and its two headlands received the names of Cape
Banks and Cape Solander. It was here that Captain Cook, amid the firing
of cannons and volleys of musketry, took possession of the country on
behalf of His Britannic Majesty, giving it the name, "New South Wales,"
on account of the resemblance of its coasts to the southern shores of
Wales.

Shortly after they had set sail from Botany Bay they observed a small
opening in the land; but Cook did not stay to examine it, merely marking
it on his chart as "Port Jackson," in honour of his friend Sir George
Jackson. The vessel still continued her course northward along the
coast, till they anchored in Moreton Bay. After a short stay, they again
set out towards the north, making a rough chart of the shores they saw.
In this way they had sailed along thirteen hundred miles without serious
mishap, when one night, at about eleven o'clock, they found the sea grow
very shallow; all hands were quickly on deck, but before the ship could
be turned she struck heavily on a sunken rock. No land was to be seen,
and they therefore concluded that it was upon a bank of coral they had
struck. The vessel seemed to rest upon the ridge; but, as the swell of
the ocean rolled past, she bumped very heavily.