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. 172

New Zealand
1769 November
[Margin note] River Thames
and ply'd down the River until 8 o'clock when we again came to an Anchor in 7 fam. Muddy bottom, at 3 AM weigh'd with the first of the Ebb & kept plying until the flood obliged us to anchor again. After this I went in the Pinnace over to the Western Shore, but found their [sic] neither inhabitants or anything else worthy of note, at the time I left the Ship a good many of the Natives were alongside & onboard Trafficking with our People for such trifles as they had & seem'd to behave as well as people could do, but one of them took the ½ hours glafs out of the Bittacle [sic] & was caught in the very fact, & for which Mr Hicks who was commanding Officer brot. him to the Gangway & gave him a Dozen lashes with a Catt of nine Tails; the rest of the people seem'd not displeased at it when they came to know what it was for, & some old Man beat the fellow after he had got into his Canoe however soon after this they all went away. ~
Thursday 23rd. PM Gentle breezes at NNW & fair wear., between 3 & 4 o'clock got under Sail with the first of the Ebb & ply'd to windward until 9 when we anchor'd in 16 fam.  over upon the E. shores in the night had light Airs & Calm, at 3 AM weighed but had little or no wind until near noon when a light breeze sprung up at NNW. at this time we were close under the W. shore in 7 fam. water Lat. 36:51 S. ~
Friday 24th. PM Fresh Gs.[gales] & dark Cloudy Squally wear. with thunder Lightning & rain. Winds from the NW to the SW. this last carried us by 7 o'clock without the NW point of the River, but the wear. being bad & having land on all Sides of us & a Dark night coming on I thought it most adviseable to Tack & stretch in under a Point where we Anchor'd in 19 fam. ~ At 5 AM weighed & made Sail to the NW. under our Courses & double Reef'd Topsails the wind being at SWbW & WSW. a Strong Gale & Squally blowing right off the Land, which would not permit us to come near it so that from the time of our getting under Sail until Noon/ during which time we ran 12 Leagues/ we had but a Slight & distant View of the Coast & was not able to distinguish wether the Points we saw were part of the Main or Islands laying before it for We never once left sight of the Main Land. at Noon our Latde. by observation was 36:15:20 S. Being at this time out above 2 Miles from a Point of Land on the Main & 3½ Leags. from a very high Island which bore NEbE. of us in this Situation had 26 fam. Water the farthest point we could see on the Main bore from us NW. but we could see several small Islands laying to the Northward of that direction. The point of Land we are now abreast of I take to be the NW. Extremity of the River Thames, for I shall Comprehend under that Name the Deep Bay we have been in for this week past the NW. point of which is the Promontory we past on Saturday morning last & which I have named Cape Colvill in honour of the Right Hon'ble the Lord Colvill Lat. 36:26 S. Long. 184:27 [?] W. it rises directly form the Seats a formidable height but what makes it most re- [markable on next page]