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. 216

New Zealand

March 1770 [in margin]

Small of the sort but seem'd to be such a one as we had never seen before. We have seen several Seals since we passed the Straits but never saw one upon the whole Coast of Aeheinomouwe we sounded both in the Night & the morning but found no bottom with 150 fam Line at Noon we saw Cape Saunders bearing N½Wt. our Lat.de by observation was 46:31So ~
Monday 5th Most part of PM had a fresh breeze at NbE½ and Saw land bear.g WbS, which we steer'd for, before dark we were within 3 or 4 Leag.s of it & seeing no land farther to the S.o we were in hopes this would prove the Southern Point. at 7 Shortned sail & kept under an easey sail all night standing to the WSW.t having the wind at NW.t & NNW until 2AM when it fell Calm & soon after a breeze sprung up at SEbS & daylight coming on we made sail during the whole night we saw a large fire upon the land acertain sign of its being inhabited. at 7 the Extreams of the land bore from No38 Et to W.t b° S.o being dist.t from the Shore about 3 Leagues. the land appear'd of a Mod.te height & not hilly. at ½ 10 o'Clock the westerm.st land in sight bore W½N dist.t 7 Leag.s at Noon had fresh Gales at SSEt & thick hazey wear with rain our Lat.de by dist.e was 46:50 So & Long.de made from CSaunders °1:56' W.t ~
Tuesday 6th PM Winds at SbE & S & thick hazey wea.r until 3 o'Clock when it clear'd up & we saw the land extendg from NEbN to NW½N & soon after low land making like an Island bearing W½ So keeping on our Course to the WbS. we in 2 hours time saw high land over the low extending to the Southw.d as far as SWbS. we could not see this land join to that to the Northward of us there wither being a total separation a deep Bay or low land between them. at 8 o'Clock being within 3 Leag.s of the low land / which we now took to ne an Island we Tackt & stood to the Eastw.d having the wind at S.o which proved very unsettled all night by which means & a little bad managem.t I found the Ship in the morn considerably farther to the Eastw.d than I expected & the wind afterw.ds coming to SWt & WSW.t so that at noon we found ourselves much ab.t the same place as we were yesterday, our Lat.de by observation being 46°:50' S.o the land extendg from NEbE.t to WbN½N the nearest part bear.g N.o dist.t 3 Leag.s the land to the SW.t just in Sight ~
Wednesday 7.th Light Airs in the SW.t quarter PM Clear Wea.r remainder dark & Cloudy. in the PM found the Variat.n off Sev.l Azm.th & the Ampl.de to be 15:10 Et & by the Amplitude in the morning to be 15°:56' E.t stood to the SE until' 8 AM then tack'd & stood to the NW.t but it soon after fell Calm & continued so until' noon when by our acco.t we were in the Lat.de of 47:6 S.o & had made 12 Miles Easting since yesterday at Noon ~