Page:History of Australia, Rusden 1897.djvu/40

 by publishing Cook's Log, gave Cook's eloquent words to the world.

Still threading his way and naming places on the mainland until he reached Cape York, Cook entered the Endeavour Straits "in great hopes that we had at last found a passage in the Indian Seas," and "confident that the eastern coast of Australia (from lat. 38° S.) was never seen or visited by any European before us; and, notwithstanding I had in the name of His Majesty taken possession of several places upon this coast, I now once more hoisted English colours, and in the name of His Majesty King George the Third took possession of the whole eastern coast from the above latitude down to this place by the name of New South Wales, together with all the bays, harbours, rivers, and islands situated upon the said coast, after which we fired three volleys of small arms, which were answered by the like number from the ship."

Having satisfied himself that he had "an open sea to the westward" and that he had thus been "able to prove