1770. March.

which are between fourteen and fifteen leagues diftant 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 fcarcely fee while we were failing in a ftrait 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 fame 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 reason 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 coaft, fhall now be related.

СНАР.

A general Account of New Zealand: its firft Discovery,
Situation, Extent, Climate, and Productions.

NE

EW ZEALAND was first discovered by Abel Jansen
Tasman, a Dutch navigator, whofe name has been
feveral times mentioned in this narrative, on the 13th of
December, in the year 1642. He traverfed the eastern coaft
from latitude 34° to 43, and entered the ftreight which di-
vides 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 Nɛw
ZEALAND. As the whole of this country, except
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 fouthern continent. It is however now known to
confist of two large islands, divided from each other by a
ftreight or paffage, which is about four or five leagues

broad.

that

part

of

These islands are fituated between the latitudes of 34o and 48° S. and between the longitudes of 181° and 194° W. which is now determined with uncommon exactnefs, from innumerable obfervations of the fun and moon, and one of the

3 K 2

tranfits

1770. March.

1770.

March.

tranfits of Mercury, by Mr. Green, a person of known abi-
lities, who, as has been obferved before, was fent out by the
Royal Society, to obferve the tranfit of Venus in the South
Seas.

rate.

The northermost of these islands is called by the natives Eaheinomauwe, and the fouthermoft Tovy, or Tavai Poenammoo; yet, as I have obferved before, we are not sure whether the name Tovy Poenammoo comprehends the whole fouthern island, or only part of it. The figure and extent of these islands, with the fituation of the bays and harbours they contain, and the smaller islands that lie about them, will appear from the chart that I have drawn, every part of which, however, I cannot vouch to be equally accuThe coaft of Eaheinomauwe, from Cape Pallifer to Eaft Cape, is laid down with great exactnefs, both in its figure, and the course and distance from point to point; for the opportunities that offered, and the methods that I used, were fuch as could fcarcely admit of an error. From East Cape to St. Maria van Diemen, the chart, though perhaps not equally exact, is without any error of moment, except poffibly in fome few places which are here, and in other parts of the chart, distinguished by a dotted line, and which I had no opportunity to examine: from Cape Maria van Diemen to latitude 36° 15', we were feldom nearer the shore than between five and eight leagues; and therefore the line that marks the fea coaft may poffibly be erroneous. From latitude 36° 15′ to nearly the length of Entry Island, our course was very near the shore, and in this part of the chart therefore there can be no material error, except perhaps at Cape Tierawitte. Between Entry Ifland and Cape Pallifer we were again farther from the fhore, and this part of the coaft therefore may not be laid down with minute exactness; yet, upon the whole, I am of opinion that this island will be

found

found not much to differ from the figure that I have given it, and that upon the coaft there are few or no harbours which are not noticed in the journal, or delineated in the chart. I cannot however fay as much of Tovy Poenammoo, the season of the year, and the circumftances of the voyage, would not permit me to fpend fo much time about this ifland as I had employed upon the other; and the forms that we met with made it both difficult and dangerous to keep near the fhore. However, from Queen Charlotte's Sound to Cape Campbel, and as far to the S. W. as latitude 43°, the chart will be found pretty accurate. Between latitude 43° and latitude 44° 20' the line may be doubted, for of fome part of the coaft which it reprefents, we had fcarcely a view. From latitude 44° 20′, to Cape Saunders, our distance would not permit me to be particular, and the weather was befides extremely unfavourable. From Cape Saunders to Cape South, and even to Cape Weft, there is alfo reafon to fear that the chart will in many places be found erroneous, as we were feldom able to keep the fhore, and were fome-times blown to fuch a diftance that it could not be seen. From Cape Weft to Cape Farewell, and even to Charlotte's Sound, it is not more to be trusted.

1770.

March.

Tovy Poenammoo is for the most part a mountainous, and Country. to all appearance a barren country; and the people whom we faw in Queen Charlotte's Sound, those that came off to us under the fnowy mountains, and the fires to the weft of Cape Saunders, were all the inhabitants, and figns of inhabitants, that we difcovered upon the whole island.

Eaheinomauwe has a much better appearance; it is indeed not only hilly but mountainous, yet even the hills and mountains are covered with wood, and every valley has a rivulet

of

1770. March.

Quadrupeds.

of water: the foil in these vallies, and in the plains, of which there are many that are not overgrown with wood, is in general light but fertile, and in the opinion of Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander, as well as of every other gentleman on board, every kind of European grain, plants, and fruit, would flourish here in the utmost luxuriance: from the vegetables that we found here, there is reason to conclude, that the winters are milder than those in England, and we found the fummer not hotter, though it was more equally warm; fo that if this country should be settled by people from Europe, they would, with a little industry, be very foon fupplied not only with the neceffaries, but the luxuries of life in great abundance.

In this country there are no quadrupeds but dogs and rats, at least we saw no other, and the rats are so scarce that many of us never faw them. The dogs live with the people, who breed them for no other purpose than to eat: there might indeed be quadrupeds that we did not fee, but this is not probable, because the chief pride of the natives, with respect to their dress, is in the skins and hair of fuch animals as they have, and we never faw the skin of any animal about them but those of dogs and birds: there are indeed feals upon the coaft, and we once faw a fea lion, but we imagine they are feldom caught, for though we faw fome of their teeth which were fashioned into an ornament like a bodkin, and worn by the natives at their breast, and highly valued, we faw none of their skins: there are whales alfo upon this coast, and though the people did not appear to have any art or inftrument by which fuch an animal could be taken and killed, we saw pattoo-pattoos in the poffeffion of some of them, which were made of the bone of a whale, or of fome other animal whofe bone had exactly the fame appearance.