One of them was so rotten, that, when hoisted up, it dropped to pieces, and the rest were not in a much better condition.

The chief confidence, therefore, of our navigators was now in the soundness of the ship; and it was a happy circumstance, that she did not admit more than one inch of water in an hour.
Early on the 3rd of August, another unsuccessful attempt was made to warp the vessel out of the harbour but in the morning of the next day the efforts of our voyagers were more prosperous, and the Endeavour got once more under sail with a light air from the land, which soon died away, and was followed by sea-breezes from south-east by south.
With these breezes the ship stood off to sea, east by north, having the pinnace ahead, which was ordered to keep sounding without intermission.

A little before noon the lieutenant anchored in fifteen fathom water, with a sandy bottom, the reason of which was, that he did not think it safe to run in among the shoals, till, by taking a view of them from the mast-head at low water, he might be able to form some judgment which way it would be proper for him to steer.

This was a matter of nice and arduous determination.

As yet Mr.Cook was in doubt, whether he should beat back to the southward, round all the shoals, or seek a passage to the eastward or the northward: nor was it possible to say, whether each of these courses might not be attended with equal difficulty and danger.
The impartiality and humanity of Lieutenant Cook's conduct in the distribution of provisions ought not to pass unnoticed.