we kept founding continually, and had from thirty-feven to forty-two fathom. When the day broke we saw land bearing S. E. by E. and an island lying near it, bearing E.S. E. diftant about five leagues: this island I knew to be the fame that I had seen from the entrance of Queen Charlotte's Sound, from which it bears N. W. by N. distant nine leagues. At noon, it bore south, distant four or five miles, and the north west head of the Sound S, E. by S. diftant ten leagues and an half. Our latitude, by obfervation, was 40° 33'S. 1770. March. Tuesday 27. As we had now circumnavigated the whole country, it became neceffary to think of quitting it; but as I had thirty tons of empty water cafks on board, this could not be done till I had filled them: I therefore hauled round the island, and entered a bay, which lies between that and Queen Charlotte's Sound, leaving three more islands, which lay close under the western fhore, between three or four miles within the entrance, on our starboard hand: while we were running in, we kept the lead continually going, and had from forty to twelve fathom. At fix o'clock in the evening, we anchored in eleven fathom with a muddy bottom, under the weft fhore, in the second cove, that lies within the three iflands; and as foon as it was light the next morning, I took Wednef. 28. a boat, and went on fhore to look for a watering-place, and a proper birth for the ship, both which I found, much to my fatisfaction. As foon as the ship was moored, I sent an offi cer on fhore to fuperintend the watering, and the carpenter, with his crew, to cut wood, while the long-boat was employed in landing the empty casks. In this employment we were bufy till the 30th; when the Friday 30. wind seeming to fettle at S. E. and our water being nearly completed, we warped the fhip out of the cove, that we might have room to get under fail: and at noon I went away 1770. March. Friday 30. in the pinnace to examine as much of the bay as my time would admit. After rowing about two leagues up it, I went afhore upon à point of land on the western fide, and having climbed a hill, I faw the western arm of this bay run in S. W. by W. about five leagues farther, yet I could not difcover the end of it: there appeared to be feveral other inlets, or at least small bays, between this and the north west head of Queen Charlotte's Sound, in each of which, I make no doubt, there is anchorage and shelter, as they are all covered from the fea wind by the islands which lie without them. The land about this bay, as far as I could fee of it, is of a hilly furface, chiefly covered with trees, fhrubs, and fern, which render travelling difficult and fatiguing. In this excurfion I was accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, who found feveral new plants. We met with fome huts, which seemed to have been long deferted, but faw no inhabitants. Mr. Banks examined feveral of the ftones that lay upon the beach, which were full of veins, and had a mineral appearance; but he did not discover any thing in them which he knew to be ore: if he had had an opportunity to examine any of the bare rocks, perhaps he might have been more fortunate. He was also of opinion that what I had taken for marble in another place, was a mineral fubftance; and that, confidering the correspondence of latitude between this place and South America, it was not improbable but that, by a proper examination, fomething very valuable might be found. At my return in the evening, I found all the wood and water on board, and the fhip ready for the fea; I refolved therefore to quit the country, and return home by fuch a route as might be of moft advantage to the fervice; and upon 1770 March. upon this fubject took the opinion of my officers. I had myself á ftrong defire to return by Cape Horn, because that would have enabled me finally to determine, whether there Friday 30-, is or is not a fouthern continent; but against this it was a fufficient objection that we must have kept in a high fouthern latitude in the very depth of winter, with a vessel which was not thought fufficient for the undertaking: and the fame reafon was urged against our proceeding directly for the Cape of Good Hope, with ftill more force, because no discovery of moment could be hoped for in that rout; it was therefore refolved that we should return by the East Indies, and that with this view we should, upon leaving the coast, fteer weftward, till we fhould fall in with the east coast of New Holland, and then follow the direction of that coaft to the northward, till we fhould arrive at its northern extremity; but if that should be found impracticable, it was further refolved that we should endeavour to fall in with the land, or islands, faid to have been discovered by Quiros. With this view, at break of day on Saturday the 31ft of Saturday 31 March 1770, we got under fail, and put to fea, with the advantage of a fresh gale at S. E. and clear weather, taking our departure from the eastern point, which we had seen at noon on the 23d, and to which, on this occafion, I gave the name of CAPE FAREWELL. The bay out of which we had juft failed I called ADMIRALTY BAY, giving the name of CAPE STEPHENS to the north weft point, and of CAPE JACKSON to the fouth east, after the twogentlemen who at this time were Secretaries to the Board. Admiralty Bay may easily be known by the island that has been just mentioned, which lies two miles N. E. of Cape Stephens, in latitude 40° 37′ S. longitude 185° 6′ W. and is of a confiderable height. Between this island and Cape Farewell, 3 which མ་ 1770: March. which are between fourteen and fifteen leagues distant from each other, in the direction of W. by N. and E. by S. the Saturday 31. shore forms a large deep bay, the bottom of which we could scarcely see while we were failing in a strait line from one Cape to the other; it is, however, probably of less depth than it appeared to be, for as we found the water fhallower here, than at the same distance from any other part of the coast, there is reason to suppose, that the land at the bottom which lies next the fea is low, and therefore not easily to be diftinguished from it. I have for this reafon called it BLIND BAY, and am of opinion that it is the fame which was called Murderer's Bay by Tasman. Such particulars of this country and its inhabitants, with their manners and customs, as could be learnt while we were circumnavigating the coast, shall now be related. CHAP. CHAP. VIII. A general Account of New Zealand: its firft Discovery, EW ZEALAND was firft discovered by Abel Jansen Nafman, a Dutch whore name has been Tasman, a Dutch navigator, whose name has been feveral times mentioned in this narrative, on the 13th of December, in the year 1642. He traversed the eastern coaft from latitude 34° to 43, and entered the ftreight which divides the two islands, and in the chart is called Cook's STREIGHT; but being attacked by the natives foon after he came to an anchor, in the place to which he gave the name of Murderer's Bay, he never went on fhore. He gave the country the name of STAATEN LAND, or the land of the States, in honour of the States-General, and it is now generally distinguished in our maps and charts by the name of NEW ZEALAND. As the whole of this country, except that part of the coast which was seen by Tasman from on board his ship, has from his time, to the voyage of the Endeavour, remained altogether unknown, it has by many been fuppofed to be part of a southern continent. It is however now known to consist of two large islands, divided from each other by a ftreight or paffage, which is about four or five leagues broad. These iflands are fituated between the latitudes of 34° and 48° S. and between the longitudes of 181° and 194° W. which is now determined with uncommon exactness, from innu-merable obfervations of the fun and moon, and one of the tranfits 1770. March. |