24th August 1770

In the P.M. had light Airs from the South-South-West, with which, after leaving Booby Island, as before mentioned, we steer'd West-North-West until 5 o'clock, when it fell Calm, and the Tide of Ebb which sets to the North-East soon after making, we Anchor'd in 8 fathoms soft sandy bottom, Booby Island bearing South 50 degrees East, distant 5 miles; Prince of Wales Isles extending from North-East by North to South 55 degrees East. There appear'd to be an open clear passage between these Islands extending from North 64 degrees East to East by North. At 1/2 past 5 in the morning in purchasing* (* Weighing the anchor.) the Anchor, the Cable parted about 8 or 10 fathoms from the Anchor; I immediately order'd another Anchor to be let go, which brought the ship up before she had drove a cable's length from the Buoy; after this we carried out a Kedge, and warped the ship nearer to it, and then endeavour'd to sweep the Anchor with a Hawser, but miss'd it, and broke away the Buoy rope.* (* The kedge is a small anchor. Sweeping is dragging the middle of a rope, or hawser, held at the two ends from two boats some distance apart, along the bottom, with the object of catching the fluke of the anchor as it lies on the bottom, and so recovering it. It is a long and wearisome operation if the bottom is uneven. Cook, however, having already lost one of his large anchors, could not afford to leave this without an effort.) We made several Attempts afterwards, but did not succeed. While the Boats were thus employed we hove up the Kedge Anchor, it being of no more use. At Noon Latitude observed 10 degrees 30 minutes South. Winds at North-East, a fresh breeze; the Flood Tide here comes from the same Quarter.

Joseph Banks Journal
Swell continued and in the morn the Best bower cable was broke in weighing by it. The whole day was spent in fruitless attempts to recover the anchor tho there was no more than 8 fathm water.

Sydney Parkinson Journal
On the 24th, in the morning, the cable broke in weighing up the anchor, which obliged us to drop another, and detained us all day sweeping for it with much trouble; but, the next morning, we got it up, and soon after were under way, and stood on to the N. W. with a fine breeze from the east. About two o’clock, in the afternoon, we were much alarmed by finding ourselves amongst a parcel of small shoals. These shoals were discovered by the water’s appearing a little brownish. They consisted of rocks upon which there were only two and three fathoms water; and, though there was a pretty large swell, they did not break. There was one not half a cable’s length from the ship. We had not more than from six to eleven fathoms water in this sea when we were out of sight of land. After examining around for the safest way to get clear of these shoals, we weighed anchor and stood out, first southerly, and then to the west, till we deepened our water to eleven fathoms; and then supposed that we passed near some part of that great shoal, stretching round part of the island of Hogeland, on the north of Carpentaria.