Page:Rambles in Australia (IA ramblesinaustral00grewiala).pdf/337

Thursday Island, that Captain Cook, after having so far successfully navigated these dangerous seas in his small sailing ship, "became," by running on to the Barrier Reef, "acquainted with misfortune." The name Cape Tribulation marks the headland to the north of the scene of his disaster. His boat had passed safely over a shoal, while the ship's company was at dinner, though the sudden shallowing of the water to eight fathoms had caused some temporary alarm. Nevertheless, all seeming once more safe, "the gentlemen left the deck in great tranquillity, and went to bed." A few minutes before eleven, however, they had struck upon the Barrier Reef, and remained immovable, except by the heaving of the surge that beat her against the edges of the rock upon which she lay. In a few minutes everyone was upon the deck, "with countenances which sufficiently expressed the horrors of the situation," for "we had too much reason to conclude that we were upon a rock of coral, which is more fatal than any other, because the points of it are sharp, and every part of the surface so rough as to grind away whatever is rubbed against it, even with the gentlest motion." It was not till a week after this disaster, a week of continual labour and acute anxiety, that they succeeded in getting the ship ashore at Endeavour Harbour.