New Zealand
October 1769
the Sea with this View we bore up for it & sent 2 Boats in Manned & Armed to Examine the Watering place who returned about noon & confirm'd the accot the Natives had given We then Anchor'd in 11 faom. fine sandy bottom, the No point of the Bay NbE & & the So point SE & the watering place which was in a Small Cove a little within the So. Point of the Bay SbE distance one Mile ~
Tolaga Bay [in margin]
Tuesday 24th Winds Westerly & fine wear. this afternoon as soon as the Ship was moor'd I went ashore to Examine the watering place accompanied by Mr Banks & Dr Solander I found the Water good & the Place pretty Convenient & plenty of wood close to high Water Mark & the Natives to all appearance not only very friendly but ready to Traffick with us for what little they had. Early in the morning I sent Lieutt. Gore ashore to Superintend the Cutting wood & filling of Water with a Sufficient number of men for both purposes & all the Marines as a Guard. after breakfast I went myself & remain'd there the whole day but before this Mr Green & I took several observations of the Sun & Moon the mean result of them gave 180.47 W.Longde. from the Meridian of Greenwich but as all the observns. made before exceeded these I have laid down the Coast agreeable to the mean of the whole ~ At noon I took the Sun's Meridian Altde. with the [indecipherable]& found the Latd. 38.22.24 So.
Wednesday 25th Winds & wear. as Yesterday PM set up the Armnt. Forge to repair the Tiller braces, they being broke. by night we had got onboard 23 Tons of Water & two or 3 Boats loads of Wood, & this I looked upon to be a good days work, the Natives gave us not the least disturbance but brot. us now & then different sorts of Fish, but to the Ship & Watering place which we purchased of them with Cloth beads &ct ~
Thursday 26th PM had the winds from between the So. & SW. fair wear. the remainder rainy dirty wear. notwithstanding we continued getting onbd. Wood & Water.
Friday 27th Winds at W. first part rainy wear. the remainder fair AM sent the Pinnace to dredge but she met with no success after this I went & sounded the Bay. I made a Shift to land in 2 places. the first time in the bottom of the bay where I went a little way into the Country, but met with nothing Extraordinary the other place I landed at was at the No. point of the Bay were I got as much Sellery & Scurvy grass as loaded the Boat, this day we compleated our Water to 70 Tons, but not Wood Enough ~
Saturday 28th Gentle breezes Southerly & fine wear. Employ's wooding, cutting & makg of Brooms, these being a Shrub brought here for that Purpose & as I intended to sail in the morning some hands were employ'd picking of Sellery to take to Sea with us this is found here in great plenty & I have caused it to be boiled with Portable Soup & Oatml. every morning for the Peoples breakfast & this I design to continue