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. 151

                      New Zealand
October 1769[left margin note]
Saturday 14th. PM had gentle breezes between the NE & NWt. Kept running down along shore at the distance of 2 or 3 Miles off our soundings from 20 to 13 faom. an even sandy bottom
[Left Margin note] Hawkes Bay
we saw some Canoes or Boats in shore & several houses upon the Land but no harbour or Convenient watering place the Main thing we were looking for in the night had little wind & Sometimes Calm with Dirty rainy wea.r AM had Variable light Airs next to a Calm & fair wea.r In the morning being not above 2 Leagues from the SW.Cor[corner] of the great Bay we have been in for these 2 days past; the Pinnace & Longboat were hoisted out in order to search for Fresh water. but just as they were ready to put off we observed several Boats full of People coming off from the Shore & for that reason I did not think it prudent to send our own from the Ship, the first that came were 5 in No. in them were between 80 & 90 Men, every Method was tried to gain their Friendship & several things were thrown overboard to them but all we could do was to no purpose neither would they accept of any one thing from us but seem'd fully bent on attacking us, in order to prevent this & our being obliged to fire upon them I order'd a 4 Pound.r Loaded with grape to be fir'd a little wide of them letting them know at the same time by Means of Tupia what we were going to do, this had the desir'd effect & not one of these would afterwards trust themselves abreast of the Ship, soon after 4 more came off, one of these put what Arms they had into another Boat & then came alongside so near as to take what things we gave them & I believe might have been prevailed upon to come onboard had not some of the first 5 came up under our stern & began again to threaten us at which the people on this one Boat seem'd displeased, immediately after this they all went ashore. At Noon Lat.de in Observ.on 39º:37' Sº. Portland bore by our sun from SE b N dist.e 14 Lg's the Southermost land in sight & which is the Sº. point of the Bay SE b S dist.e 4 or 5 Lg's & a  Bluff head lying in the SW.t Cor. of the Bay S b W 2 or 3 Miles, on each side of this bluff head is a low narrow sand or stone beach between these beaches & the Main land is a pretty large lake of Salt Water, as I suppose; on the S E.t side of this head is a very large flatt which seems to extend a good way inland to the Westward, on this flatt are Several groves of Streight[sic] tall Trees but there seems to be a great Probability that the lake above mention'd extends itself a good way into this flatt Country. Inland are a Chain of Pretty high Mountains extending Nº. & Sº. on the Summit & Sides of these Mountains were many Patches of Snow, but between them & the Sea the Land is Cloathed with wood. ~.
SUNDAY 15th. PM stood over for the Southermost land or Sº. point of the Bay having a light breeze at N Et. our Soundings from 12 to 8 faom. not reaching this Point before dark we stood off & on all night having Variable light Airs next to a Calm depth of water from 8 to 7 faom. Variation 14:10 Et. at 8 AM being abreast of the S Wt. Point of the Bay some fishing Boats came off to us & sold us some Stinking fish. however it was such as they had & we were glad to enter into Traffick[sic] with them upon any Terms. These People