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. 164

New Zealand

November
Mercury Bay [in margin]

soon as he had got Mr Gores Cloth in his possession he would not part with his own but put off the Canoe from alongside & then shook their Paddles at the People in the Ship. Upon this Mr Gore fir'd a Musquet at them & from what I can learn kill'd the Man who took the Cloth, after this they soon went away. I have here inserted the accot. of this Affair just as I had it from Mr Gore, but I must own it did not meet with any approbation because I thought the Punishment a little too severe for the Crime & we had now been long Enough acquainted with these People to know how to Chastise Trifling faults like this without taking away their Lives ~ 

Friday 10th  PM Gentle breezes & Variable the remaind a Strong breeze at ENE & hazy wear. AM I sent with 2 Boats accompanied by Mr Banks & the other Gentlemen into the River which Emptys itself into the head of the Bay in order to Examine it none of the Natives came off to the Ship this morning which we think is owing to bad wear. ~ 

Saturday 11th  [indecipherable] at ENE & Cloudy hazey wear. with rain between 7 & 8 o'Clock AM. I returnd onboard from out of the River having been abt. 4 or 5 Miles up it & could have gone much farther had the Wind been favourable. I landed on the Et. side & went upon the Hills from whence I saw or at least I thought I saw the head of the River it here branched into Several Channels & form'd a Number of very low flat Islands all cover'd with a sort of Mangrove Trees & several places of the Shores of both sides the River were Cover'd with the same sort of Wood; the sand banks were well stored with Cockles & Clams& in many places were Rock Oysters, here is likewise pretty plenty of Wild Fowl, such as Shags, Ducks, Curlews & a Black bird about as big as a Crow with a long sharp bill of a Colour between Red & Yellow. we also saw fish in the River but of what sort I know not. The Country especially on the Et. side is barren & for the most part destitute of wood or any other signs of fertility but the face of the Country on the otherside looked much better & is in many places cover'd with wood. We meet with Some of the Natives & saw several more & Smokes along way inland but saw not the least Signs of Cultivation either here or in any other part about this Bay, so that the inhabitants must live wholy on shell & other fish & Fern [indecipherable] they Eat by the way od Bread. In the Entrance of this river & for 2 or 3 Miles up it is very safe & Commodious Anchoring in 3, 4 & 5 fam. & Convenient places for laying a Ship aShore where the Tide rises & falls about 7 feet at flows full & Change ~ 
I could not see whether or no any considerable fresh Water Stream came out of the Country into this river but there are a number of small Rivulets which come from the Adjacent hills. A little within the Entrance of the River on the E Tide is a high point or Peninsula juting out into the River on which are the Remains of one of their fortified towns the situation is such that the best engineer in Europe