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1770. February.

ftrength of the tide, which fet to the S. E. after the rate of at least five miles an hour, from a little after seven till near midnight, when the Wednes. 7. tide abated, and we began to heave. By three in the morning the anchor was at the bows, and having a light breeze at N. W. we made fail for the eastern shore; but the tide being against us, we made but little way: the wind however afterwards freshened, and came to N. and N. E. with which, and the tide of ebb, we were in a fhort time hurried through the narrowest part of the ftreight, and then stood away for the fouthermost land we had in fight, which bore from us S. by W. Over this land appeared a mountain of ftupendous height, which was covered with fnow.

The narrowest part of the ftreight, through which we had been driven with fuch rapidity, lies between Cape Tierawitte, on the coaft of Eaheinomauwe, and Cape Koamaroo: the distance between them I judged to be between four or five leagues, and notwithstanding the tide, now its ftrength is known, may be paffed without much danger. It is however safest to keep on the north east fhore, for on that fide there appeared to be nothing to fear; but on the other fhore there are not only the islands and rocks which lie off Cape Koamaroo, but a reef of rocks ftretching from these islands fix or seven miles to the fouthward, at the diftance of two or

three

three miles from the fhore, which I had difco.

vered from the hill when I took

my fecond view

1770.

February.

of the ftreight from the east to the western fea. Wedner, 7. The length of the ftreight we had paffed I shall not pretend to affign, but fome judgment may be formed of it from a view of the chart.

About nine leagues north from Cape Tierawitte, and under the fame fhore, is a high and remarkable ifland which may be diftinctly feen from Queen Charlotte's Sound, from which it is diftant about fix or feven leagues. This ifland, which was noticed when we paffed it on the 14th of January, I have called ENTRY ISLE. 1

On the east fide of Cape Tierawitte, the land trends away S. E. by E. about eight leagues, where it ends in a point, and is the fouthermoft land on Eaheinomauwe. To this point I have given the name of CAPE PALLISER, in honour of my worthy friend Captain Pallifer. It lies in latitude 41° 34′ S. longitude 183° 58′ W. and bore from us this day at noon S. 79 E. diftant about thirteen leagues, the ship being then in the latitude of 41° 27 S.; Koamaroo at the fame time bearing N. E. diftant feven or eight leagues. The fouthermoft land in fight bore S. 16 W. and the fnowy mountain S. W. At this time we were about three leagues from the fhore, and abreast of a deep bay or inlet, to which I gave the name of CLOUDY BAY, and at

the

1770. February.

Wednef. 7.

the bottom of which there appeared low land co vered with tall trees.

At three o'clock in the afternoon we were abreast of the southermoft point of land that we had seen at noon, which I called CAPE CAMPBELL; it lies S. by W. diftant between twelve and thirteen leagues from Cape Koamaroo, in latitude 41° 44′ S. longitude 183° 45′ W.; and with Cape Pallifer forms the fouthern entrance of the ftreight, the distance between them being between thirteen and fourteen leagues W. by S. and E. by N.

From this Cape we fteered along the fhore S. W. by S. till eight o'clock in the evening, when the wind died away. About half an hour afterwards, however, a fresh breeze fprung up at S. W. and I put the ship right before it. My reafon for this, was a notion which some of the officers had just started, that Eaheinomauwe was not an island, and that the land might stretch away to the S. E. from between Cape Turnagain and Cape Pallifer, there being a space of between twelve and fifteen leagues that we had not feen. I had indeed the strongest conviction that they were mistaken, not only from what I had seen the first time I difcovered the ftreight, but from many other concurrent teftimonies that the land in question was an island; but being refolved to leave no poffibility of doubt with respect to an object of fuch importance, I took the opportunity

opportunity of the wind's fhifting, to ftand eastward, and accordingly fteered N. E. by E. all the night. At nine o'clock in the morning we were abreast of Cape Pallifer, and found the land trend away N. E. towards Cape Turnagain, which I reckoned to be diftant about twenty-fix leagues: however, as the weather was hazy, fo as to prevent our feeing above four or five leagues, I ftill kept ftanding to the N. E. with a light breeze at fouth; and at noon Cape Pallifer bore N. 72 W. diftant about three leagues.

About three o'clock in the afternoon, three canoes came up to the fhip with between thirty and forty people on board, who had been pulling after us with great labour and perseverance for fome time: they appeared to be more cleanly, and a better clafs, than any we had met with fince we left the Bay of Islands, and their canoes were also distinguished by the fame ornaments which we had feen upon the northerly part of the coast. They came on board with very little invitation; and their behaviour was courteous and friendly: upon receiving prefents from us, they made us prefents in return, which had not been done by any of the natives that we had feen before. We foon perceived that our guests had heard of us, for as foon as they came on board, they afked for Whow, the name by which nails were known among the people with whom VOL. III.

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1770. February.

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1770. we had trafficked: but though they had heard of nails, it was plain they had seen none; for when nails were given them, they asked Tupia what they were. The term Whow, indeed, conveyed to them the idea not of their quality, but only of their ufe; for it is the fame by which they distinguish a tool, commonly made of bone, which they use both as an augur and a chiffel. However, their knowing that we had Whow to fell, was a proof that their connexions extended as far north as Cape Kidnappers, which was diftant no less than forty-five leagues; for that was the southermoft place on this fide the coaft where we had had any traffic with the natives. It is also probable, that the little knowledge which the inhabitants of Queen Charlotte's Sound had of iron, they obtained from their neigh bours at Tierawitte; for we had no reason to think that the inhabitants of any part of this coaft had the leaft knowledge of iron or its use before we came among them, especially as when it was firft offered they feemed to difregard it as of no value. We thought it probable, that we were now once more in the territories of Teratu; but upon inquiring of these people, they said that he was not their King. After a short time, they went away, much gratified with the presents that we had made them; and we pursu ed our course along the fhore to the N. E. till eleven o'clock the next morning. About this

Friday 9.

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