James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 170

New Zealand

November 1769
Saturday 18th Firstpt. strong Gs. at SW & SSW with heavy squalls in the morning had Gentle breezes at So. & SE towards noon at Whifling light Airs all round the Compass kept plying to windward under close Reef & Topsails until daylight at which time we had got close under the Main & the wind coming at SE, we made sail & steerd NWbW, as the land lays keeping close in shore. at 6 we passed a small Bay wherein their appeard to be Anchorage & pretty good Shelter from the Sea Winds at the Entrance of which lies a Rock pretty high above water, 4 Miles farther to the WNW is a very Conspicuous promontory or point of land which we got abreast of about 7 o'clock it lies in the Latde. of 36:26 So. & No. 48 W 6 Leags. from Point Mercury, from the point the Land trends W½S near one Leage. then SSE as far as we could see. besides the Islands laying without us we could see land round by the SW as far as NW but wether this was the Main or Islands  was not possible for us at this Time to determine. the fear of loosing the Main land determin'd me to follow its direction. with this View we hauld  round the Point & Steer'd to the Southwd. but meeting with Whifling light Airs all round the Compass we made but little progress untill noon when we found ourselves by Observation in the Latd of 36:29 So. a small Island wch lies NW 4 Miles from the Promontory abovemention'd bore NbE distt. 6½ Miles, being at this time about 2 Miles from the Shore, while we lay under the land 2 large Canoes came off to us in one of them were 62 People they laid about us sometime then began to throw stones into the Ship upon which I fir'd a Musquet ball thro' one of the Canoes after this they retir'd ashore ~

River Thames [in margin]
Sunday 19th at 1 PM a breeze sprung up at E which afterwards came to NE & with it we steerd along shore SbE & SSE having from 25 to 18 fam. of Water at ½ past 7 havg been 7 or 8 Leags. since Noon we Anchor'd in 23 fam. not choosing to run any farther in the Dark having the land on both sides of us forming the Entrance of a Straight Bay or River lying in SbE for on that point of the Compass we could see no land. at daylight AM the wind being still favourable we weighed & ran under an Easy sail up the inlet keeping nearest the E side, soon after we had got under Sail a large Canoe came off to the Ship & several of the People came onbd. upon the very first invitation, this was owing to their having heard of our being upon the Coast & the manner we had treated the Natives. I made each of those that came onbd. a small Prest. & after abt. an Hour stay they went away well Satisfied. After having run 5 Leagues from the place where we Anch. last night our Depth of Water gradually decreased to 6 fam. & into less I did not choose to go, & as the wind blew right up the inlet & tide of flood we came to an Anchor nearly in the Middle of the Channell which is here about 11 Miles over & after this sent 2 Boats to sound, the one on one side & the other ib tge other side ~