North Island Sighted.

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon of October 7th, 1769, a boy named Nicholas Young, acting as lookout from the masthead, sighted land. Owing to difficulties in getting supplies, this place was named Poverty Bay. After sailing southward, Cook turned north at Cape Turnagain and anchored at Tokomaru Bay. He later passed East Cape, and got supplies in such quantity from the Natives that he set down “Bay of Plenty” on his map.

At Mercury Bay he took possession in the name of King George III. Having fixed the North Cape on the 31st December, Cook got a sight of Cape Maria Van Dieman. In a heavy gale he got down as far as Kaipara Harbour, but stood away to the north–west. Again sighting Cape Maria Van Dieman, the barque was headed south once more. On January 12th he sighted and named Cape Egmont.

Cook's stay at Ship Cove is set out in the history books. While there he had a conversation with a Maori Chief, who assured the Englishman that both mainlands were really islands and could be circumnavigated.

On February 6th the “Endeavour” sailed from Queen Charlotte Sound through the strait we now call “Cook,” and, to settle the matter beyond doubt, sailed north to Cape Turnagain. So was the North Island circumnavigated.