29th & 30th September 1770

[From Savu to Sunda Strait]

29th. Moderate breeze at South-East and clear pleasant weather, Steer'd North-West all this day, in order to make the land of Java. At Noon we were by Observation in the Latitude of 9 degrees 31 minutes South and Longitude 251 degrees 40 minutes West.

30th. Fresh gales and fair weather. In the A.M. I took into my possession the Officers', Petty Officers' and Seamen's Log Books and Journals, at least all that I could find, and enjoin'd every one not to divulge where they had been.* (* These logs are now in the Public Record Office. Mr. Green's log ends on the 2nd October. Not being an officer, Cook doubtless overlooked it at first. This log should by rights have been returned to Mr. Green, but as he died shortly after leaving Batavia, it has found its way, with the others, to the Record Office.) At noon our Course and distance sail'd since Yesterday at noon, is North 20 degrees West, 126 Miles, which brought us into the Latitude of 7 degrees 34 minutes South and Longitude 252 degrees 23 minutes West.

Joseph Banks Journal

29th. Fresh trade. More Gannets and Man of War birds than usual were seen, and one tropick bird which seemd to be of a brownish or buff colour but stayd a very short time about the ship.

30th.  Two more Buff colourd Tropick birds were about the ship in the morn in company with a white one which was one third at least larger than they were; From thence I am inclind to think that they may be the Paille-en-cul fauve of Brisson, Vol. VI, p. 489 and realy a distinct species. Besides these many Birds were about the ship, Man of War, Bobies, Gannets etc., who all flew nearer the ship and shewd less fear of her than usual; in the Eve many very small whiteish birds were seen which flew in flocks. We had all this day stood in directly for the Land, yet night came and tho many had seen Capes and Headlands in the air yet no real land was seen which made us rather uneasy, as we had great reason to suppose that we had overshot the Mouth of the Streights, no very agreable Idea. We had made 15' 30" of Longitude from the South end of Timor and thought our selves quite safe as La Neptune Oriental makes the difference to be 18' 40", yet when we recollected that our Countrey man Dampier makes only 14' we had reason to be uneasy; so at sun set we clap'd close upon a wind in order to make the best of our bargain howsoever it might turn out.