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. 158
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NEW ZEALAND ~
October [left margin note]
of the Natives being dispers'd up & down the Country -- We found in the Woods Trees of above 20 different sorts. Specimens of each I took onboard as all of them wer[sic] un-
known to any of us, the Tree which we cut for firing was something like Maple & yeilded[sic] a Whitish Gum, there was another sort of a deep Yellow which we imagin'd might prove useful in dying, we likewise found one Cabbage Tree which we cut down for the sake of the Cabage.~ The Country abounds with a great Number of Plants & the woods with as great a variety of beautiful birds many of them unknown to us.~The soil both of the hills & Valleys is light & sandy & very proper for producing all kinds of Roots, but we saw only sweet potatoes & Yams among them these they plant in little round hills & have plantations of them containing several Acres neatly laid out & kept in good order & many of them are fenced in with low paling which can only serve for Ornament—
Monday 30. th PM. little wind & Cloudy wea.r at 1 Tack'd & stood in shore at 7 o'Clock Tolaga Bay bore WNW dist.t one Leag.e Tack'd & lay her head off, had it calm until 2 AM when a breeze sprung up at SW.t & we made Sail to the Northw.d, at 6 Gable and Fore-land bore SSW & Tolaga bay SSW¼W dist.e 3 leag.s at 8 being about 2 Miles from the shore some Canoes that were fishing came after the Ship but we having a fresh of wind they could not come up with us & I did not chuse[sic] to wait for them, at Noon Lat.e Per observ.on 37º 49' S.º a small Island lying off the Northerm.st land in sight bore N.º16 E.t dist.t 4 Miles course from Tolaga bay N bE,½ E dist.e 13 Leag.s the land from thence is off a moderate but unequal height forming several small bays wherein are sandy beaches Hazey cloudy wea.r prevented us from seeing much of the inland country but near the Shore we could see several Vilages & plantations of the Natives. Sounding from 20 to 30 fa.om —
Tuesday 31.st At half past one PM hauled round the Island above mention which lies E.t 1 Mile from the NE.t point of the land, from hence trends NWbW & WNW as far as we could see, This point of Land I have called E Cape because I have great reason to think that it is the Easterm.st land on this whole Coast, & for the same reason I have called the Island which lays off it E.t Island it is but of a small circuit high & round & appears white & barren, The Cape is of a mod.te height with white cliffs & lies in the Lat.de of 37º.42'.30" S.º & Long.de 181º.00 W.t from the Meridian of Greenwch,[sic] after we had rounded the E.t Cape we saw as we run along shore a great number of Vilages[sic] & a great deal of Cultivated land & in general the country appear'd with more fertility than what we has seen before, it was low near the Sea but hilly inland, at 8 being 8 Leag.sto the Westw.d of Cape E.t & 3 or 4 Miles from the shore shortned sail & bro.t [brought] too for the night having at this Time a fresh Gale at SSE.t & Squally & Squally weather, but