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. 211

[Page 211]
New Zealand
[In margin] 1770 February
Friday 16th In the PM had a light breeze NEt with which we steer'd Wt, edging in for the land which was distant from us about 8 Leags at 7 o'Clock the Southermost extream of the land in sight bore WSWt being about 6 leags from the shore soon after this it fell Calm & continued so most part of the night with sometimes light Airs from the land, at day light we discover'd land bearing SbW & seemingly detached from the coast we were upon, at 8 o'Clock a breeze sprung up at NbE and we steer'd directly for it. At Noon was in the Latde of 43°:19' So. The Peak on the snowy Mountain bore N20Et dist 27 Leags the Southern Extremity we could see of that land bore Wt & the land discover'd in the morning making like an Island extending from SSW to SWbW ½Wt distt abt 8 Leags, our Course & distance sail'd since yesterday at Noon SWbW 43 Miles. Variation by this mornings Amplitude 14°:39'Et.

Saturday 17th PM stood to the Southward for the land above mentioned, with the wind at No a fresh breeze & clear wear  at 8 o'Clock we had run a 11 Leags since Noon when the land extended from SWbW to NbW being distant from the nearest shore about 3 or 4 Leags, in this situation had 50 fam water, a fine sandy bottom, soon after this it fell calm & continued so until 6AM when a light breeze sprung up at NWt which afterwards veer'd to NEt at sun rise being very Clear, we plainly discover'd that the last mentioned land was an Island by seeing part of the Land of Tovy-poenammu open to the Westwd of it extending as far as WbSo -

at 8 o'Clock the Extreams of the Island bore N76Wt & NNE½Et & an opening that had the Appearance of a Bay or Harbour lying near the South Point N20Wt distt 3 or 4 leags being in 38 fam a brown sandy bottom, this Island which I have named after Mr Banks lies abt 5 leags from the Coast of Tovy-poenammu the So point bears So21Wt from the highest Peak on the Snowy mountains so often Mentioned & lies in the Latde of 43°:52'So & in the Longde of 186°:30Wt by observations made of the Sun & Moon this morning, it is of a Circular Figure & may be abt 24 Leags in compass the land is of a height sufficient to be seen 12 or 15 leags & of a very broken uneven Surface, & hath more the Appearance of barrenness than fertility. Last night we saw smook up it & this morning some people and therefore must be inhabited. Yesterday Lieutt Gore having the morning Watch at the time we first saw this Island thought he saw land bearing SSE & SEbEt but I who was upon Deck at the same time was very Certain that it was only Clouds which disipated as the Sun rose but neither this nor the running 14 Leags to the South nor the seeing no land to the Eastward of us in the Evening, could satisfy Mr Gore but what he saw in the morning was or might be land, altho there was,