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. 200
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New Zealand
lies on the W. side of the Sound & is the Southern most of the 3 Coves. lying within Motu-oura which Island bears it limit, you may sail into this Cove either between this last mentioned Island & the Isle Ilamote, or between Motuouree & the lies shore in this last Channell are 2 Ledges of Rocks 3 fathom under water but they may be known by the Sea Weed which grows upon them in sailing in or out of this sound with little wind attention must be had to the Tides which flows 9 or 10-o'clock full & change of the moon & sins & falls upon a perpendicular 7 or 8 feet. The flood comes in thro' the Shail Froin the SE & sends strong over upon the N102 Head & the reef laying off it, the Ebbuck with great rapidity to the SE, over upon the Islands & Rocks lying off the SE heads.
Variation of the Compass form good Creavation to found to be 13:5 E. the land ab. this Sound is of such height that we first saw it at the distance of 20 Leag. & it consists wholy of high hills & deep Valleys well stored with a variety of excellent Timber fit for all purposes except Ships Masks for which use it is too hard & heavy. The sea abounds with a variety of fish & in such plenty that without going out of the Cove where we lay. we caught daily what with the fears. Hoil & Pines quite sufficient for all hands & upon our first arrival we found plenty of Shags & some few other Wild Fowl which to people in our situation was fresh food not to be dispised. The Number of Inhabitants hardly exceeds 300-400 people. they live dispers'd . along the Shore in search of their daily bread even is fish & firn roots for they Cultivate no part of the lands. Upon the appearance of danger they Picture to their Hippa's or strong holds for in this situation is found them & they remain's us for some days after. This people are from when compared to many we have seen & their Canserare mean & without orna-ment. the little Traffick we had with them was wholy for fish for we saw little else they had to dispole of they had some knowledge of ison for they very readily took Nails in Exchange for fish & sometimes if refer'd them to anything else, which was more than the People of any other place would do, they were at first fond of paper but when they found it spoile by being wet they would not take it nor did they set much value upon the cloth we got at Georges Island but shar'd and extraordinary fun day for English broad cloth & red Jersey. which shew'd them to be a more fenie-ble People than many of their Neighbours, besides the common reefs some were far from being unbecoming. --