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Historical Records of New Zealand Vol. II.

Menzies' Journal

page 483

Menzies' Journal.

Extract from a M.S. Journal kept by Archibald Menzies on board H.M.S. “Discovery,” while at Dusky in 1791 and after leaving that Port, copied from the Manuscript in the British Museum by the Editor.

On the 2nd of Novt. we had a fresh breeze & still fair with squally & dark hazy weather, which at intervals cleared up, so as to give us in the forenoon an imperfect sight of the land of New Zealand. We were at the same time met by vast flights of very small divers—blue petrels & Seals. At noon our Latitude by a Meridian altitude was 46° 00′ South. We then steerd for Dusky Bay, which we entered about 7 in the evening, with a heavy rolling swell from the westward & light baffling air of wind that obligd us to hoist the boats out to assist in towing the ship into the Bay.

As we passed close to Point five-fingers, which makes the North point of Entrance, our eyes were fixd for some time upon its wild & romantic appearance. It is formed by a group of high peaked insulated Rocks perforated with holes & hideous caverns & furnishd with projecting rocks & steep cliffs that in many places overhung their base yet afforded a scanty nourishment to some trees & bushes which here & there issued from crevices & adornd their craggy sides. A little behind these a very steep rocky shore rose to a moderate height, & was covered towards the summit with trees of different kinds, forming, on the whole, a prospect truly picturesque, & which at this time was certainly heightened by the novelty of our situation — the calm serenity of the evening & the wild hideous noise of a heavy surf dashing incessantly against the rocks & cavernous shore.

About nine the wind dying away entirely we both came to an anchor near the entrance of Facile Harbour, under the western shore, in 40 fathoms — Point five fingers S. 38 W. & the outer point of Anchor Island S. 5 W. — It remained calm during the night & a dark gloomy stillness pervaded the whole place from the high mountains with which we were surrounded.

On the morning of the 3d. of Novr Capt Vancouver, Lt Broughton,* & Mr Whidbey went in the cutter into Facile Harbour in order to pitch upon a good situation for both Vessels. A boat was likewise employed in fishing, & in the course of a few hours

* Lieutenant William Robert Broughton, commander of H.M.S. “Chatham.”

Joseph Whidbey, master of the “Discovery.”

page 484 returnd with good success. But towards noon it came on to blow very fresh & squally, which, drove the Discovery off the Bank, nor did the dropping of a second Anchor avail, the depth of water being too great. Guns were fired, which soon brought the party on board from Facile Harbour, & after both anchors were hove up, having drove a good way to leeward, we made sail, & began working up to our former Anchorage, which we were on the point of regaining when at five in the evening the strap of the fore top sail sheet block gave way, & on account of the narrowness of the Channel obligd us to bear up for Anchor Island Harbour, where very soon after we came to an anchor in 26 fathoms, soft muddy bottom, at the entrance of a small cove, & after veering half a cable we were snug in the cove with our stern within 40 yards of the shore in 13 fathoms water. The Ship was further secured by a Hawser run out to each point of the Cove & one over each quarter, which were made fast on shore to large trees, & as the gale seemed increasing the Top Gallant Masts Top Masts & lower yards were struck, which on the whole rendered our situation as snug & secure as possible. In consequence of our hurry & tempestuous blowing weather Lt Broughton was obliged to stay on board the Discovery, & was for a time separated from his vessel, which still held her ground where she first anchored. During the night it continued to blow a very strong gale from North North West, with frequent heavy squalls.

On the morning of the fourth the Gale increased in its fury to a perfect storm with squalls & very heavy falls of rain, which induced us to drop another Anchor under foot — send the Top Gallant Masts down upon deck — strike the mizen top Mast and point the Yards fore & aft. By ten in the forenoon the gale some-what abated & the weather became more moderate & fair. This tempestuous storm had so rarified the atmosphere that vapours were now seen ascending from different parts of the woods on the sides of the Mountains not unlike large columns of Smoke & the Mercury in the Barometer had sunk so low as 29.20.

A little before noon I went on shore with Capt Vancouver, Lt Broughton, and Mr Whidbey. Their object was to find a commodious place for carrying on the business of wooding & watering, while mine was to botanize & examine the natural produce of the country; nor did either of us return disappointed, for abreast of the ship a fine run of fresh water was discoverd, with wood close to the shore sufficient to supply all our wants; there were likewise found large Trees of what has been called New Zealand Spruce, so that the whole business of wooding, watering, brewing, &c, could be carried on here with great eas under the commanding officer's eye from the ship.

page 485

They then rowed out to the entrance of the harbour to see if the Chatham had still remained in the same situation after the late storm, which they were happy to find she did, while I made an excursion into the woods & met with a vast variety of Ferns & Mosses I had never before seen. They are two tribes of plants of which I am particularly fond, therefore no one can conceive the pleasure I enjoyed unless placed under similar circumstances. I returned on board in the afternoon loaded with my treasures, & had sufficient to employ me in examining & arranging for the following day, which indeed was very lucky, for in the evening it began to blow again a very hard gale from the same quarter as before, & if possible with more fury the whole night & the greatest part of next day, attended with very heavy falls of rain. I do not remember ever seeing the foaming surface of the sea drifting about in the air in such quantity & and with such violence as during some parts of this storm. The mountains round about us were capt with fresh snow pretty low down.

On the 6th the Weather being now moderate & fair, Lieut. Broughton returned this forenoon on board his vessel, & removd her into Facile Harbour. A party was employed in clearing a place for a large Tent, which was sent on shore & pitchd near the fresh-water run, while others were engagd in the various duties of wooding, watering, fishing, & a party had gone shooting, so that there were very few idlers amongst us. The plant called the New Zealand Tea* being wanted as an ingredient for brewing beer, I went in a boat in the afternoon to search for it round the Harbour, but did not meet with any of it near the shore, it was however found next day in abundance higher up in the woods above the Cove in the direction of the fresh-water Rivulet, & it may appear singular that in this excursion I only met with three different plants in flower, though this month corresponds with the Month of May in England. The shores were bound round with rocky perpendicular cliffs covered to their verge with thick wood, so that there were not many places on which we could land without considerable obstruction & difficulty.

The Brewing Utensils were sent on shore on the 7th, & a Brewery established near the Tent, which was superintended by Mr. Orchard. The Carpenters began felling of Timber, which is to be got here in great plenty with very little trouble & good in quality for almost any purpose whatever.

I had another botanical excursion in the woods, but met with nothing different from what I had seen in my last excepting several kinds of Mosses which were in full perfection, particularly Hypna and Jungermanniae.

* Leptospermum scoparium, or manuka.

page 486

That the reader may accompany me with more ease through the different parts of this extensive Sound I recommend to his perusal the Chart of it in Cook's Voyage, which we found very accurate.

In the morning of the 8th. a Boat was sent on Board the Chatham. & I embraced the opportunity of going in her with an intent to remain with my friends in Facile Harbour for some days in order to examine the woods & Shore in that neighbourhood. We found the Chatham in a very comfortable situation, hauld into a snug Cove, & Moord by Hawsers to the Trees, & her Commander on shore within a stone's throw of her attending the different duties that were going forward. In the afternoon I accompanied him to Cormorant Cove, where we shot some Ducks & Shags, & found a considerable rivulet emptying itself into the head of it. This day was mostly fair, with a moderate breeze from the Southward.

On the following day I was favord with a Boat, which enabled me to examine several parts of Facile Harbour. I went but a little way from the Vessel when I found on a small Island plenty of the New Zealand Tea which was much wanted at the Brewery, & in this day's excursion I collected a number of Cryptoganic plants I had not before seen, & was not a little pleasd to meet with pretty large trees of the Wintera aromatica & Batula antartica. The former I suspect to be what is called the Pepper plant on Norfolk Island — See Philips Voyage to Botany Bay, page 78.*

We saw a hut in one place near the shore which did not appear to have been inhabited for a long time. It was of an obtuse conic form, about 4 feet high & 6 in diameter at the bottom, composed of slender sticks crossing each other, & fastened together with twigs, closely thatched over all with grass & ferns, with the marks of a fire place before the door of it which faced towards the wood.

On the morning of the 10th Lieutenant Broughton, Messrs Johnstone, Walker, & myself formed a shooting party, & after breakfast set out for Goose Cove, which we reachd in the afternoon, but as it was then low water the boat was of no service to us. We therefore landed, & in order to have better sport, divided into two parties, one on each side of the Cove, &, though we saw a great number of the black Sea Pies, Curlews, & some Ducks, the mud was too deep to suffer us to get near enough to them to make much execution. After going up the Cove about half way we returnd, & met again at the entrance, when it was found that our success fell far short of our expectations.

* In the 1789 edition it is p. 92.

James Johnstone, master of H.M.S. “Chatham.”

page 487 It was now consulted whether we should relinquish any further attempts & return on board or remain here all night & renew our sport again early in the morning; the latter was agreed upon, & we instantly movd towards a hut which had been observ in the verge of the wood on the east side of the Cove as a place eligibly situated for our encampment.

This hut was the same form & size as the one in Facile Harbour, but it was much fresher, & seemed to have been later inhabited by some of the Natives, perhaps within the last twelve months. There was a fire place before it with a great number of ear shells & limpets scattered round it, the contents of which I dare say had been used as food. There were likewise the remains of two rude baskets formd of the bark of a Tree laying close to it. We immediately set about giving this hut a fresh coat of thatch, & had the bottom of it spread over with a thick layer of Ferns for our beds. We kindled a large fire before the entrance which was kept up by a Centinel all night to keep off the sand-flys, which were very troublesome, & after dressing some of our game, on which we made a hearty Meal, we retird to sleep on our comfortable fern beds, & being pleasantly situated at the foot of high steep romantic mountains clothed with trees the habitation of a numerous variety of birds whose warbling cadence lulled us to rest & in the morning entertained us with their wild heterogeneous concert.

On the 11th. we set out by the dawn of day to put our scheme in execution after leaving orders for the boat to follow us with the returning Tide; we walkd to the head of the Cove which was by no means an easy task, as we were obligd in many places to wade up to our knees in mud, & that too without the pleasure of much sport. From thence we went across a low Istmus of half a mile wide to Hen-Cove where we had no better success. Thus disappointed in our expectations of sport we returnd to the boat much dissatisfied with the scarcity of game, & immediately embarkd for the Vessel.

As Captain Cook had left five Geese in this Cove* we were in hopes of meeting with some of their offspring, & thereby partaking of the fruits of his benevolence, but as they were left in the autumn, I am apprehensive they did not survive the first winter, for not the least traces of any could be seen at this time about the Cove, & though there was a scarcity of other Birds on account of this being the season of incubation, yet it appears to be the most eligible place in the whole Sound for Game at a proper time of the year.

* On 24th April, 1773. See any edition of “Cook's Voyages” covering that date.

page 488

By the progress of vegetation spring seemed to be further advanced here than any other part we had yet visited, yet I met with nothing different in my botanical pursuits from what I had seen before excepting a small species of Ancistrum & a Lobelia.

Early on the 12th I went with Lieutenant Broughton & Mr Johnstone on board the Discovery, where we were joined by Messrs Mudge & Bader* & then set out with an intent to try our luck in Duck Cove & encamp there for the night, but as we went up the Sound with a fair breeze, we passed it, & only made this discovery when we were about six miles beyond it. We then shaped our course for Cooper's Island, & found on our way a Shagery in Trees on the Shag Islands, where we killd a few of them with some Parrots, & afterwards went into Sportsmans Cove, an enchanting spot. Here we made a fire, cookd some fish & game & enjoyd a rural repast. While these were getting ready I sauntered into the wood up the side of a large rivulet, where I found some species of Moss, but nothing else in flower that was new. The wood here was thick, but no wise difficult to penetrate.

In the afternoon we row'd back as far as the Front Islands opposite to Resolution Passage, where we encampd for the night, & after kindling a fire we sat cordially round it & drank the usual toast on saturday night in a hearty bumper of Grog, after which we reclind on the soft moss for a bed under the dense foliage of spreading trees for a covering & enjoyed a refreshing sleep, the night remaining mild & calm.

The dawn of the following day mild & serene set us all in motion again, being anxious to get as far as Duck Cove before breakfast. We found this little Island to be inhabited by Wood Hens, which surprisd us not a little, as they seem as capable of swimming as our common domestic fowls, & less so of flying, their wings being so small in proportion to their body that we never once observed them to use them.

After rowing to Duck Cove I am sorry to say we met with very little sport, we therefore put ashore at the entrance of it, & made fire on a small sandy beach, where we cook'd breakfast near the influx of a considerable brook rolling its rapid stream over shelving rocks into the Sea, forming a pleasing & beautiful small cataract.

From this place we rowed over to Indian Island, to see if we could meet with any of the Natives where they were first seen by Captian Cook, but here we were likewise disappointed,

* Zachariah Mudge and (probably) Joseph Baker, Lieutenants on H.M.S. “Discovery.”

page 489 & it may appear singular that we had not yet met with any recent traces of them anywhere in the Sound. From here we were led by the wild & romantic appearance of a beautiful fall of some hundred feet perpendicular into Cascade Cove, where we met Captain Vancouver & Mr Whidbey in the Pinnace accompanied by a large party of the Midshipmen in the Cutter. They had left the Ship early in the Morning, breakfasted in Pickersgill harbour, and dind here before our arrival. Our first object after landing was to dress some fish & game for our dinner, of which we had picked up in the way more than sufficient for our own consumption.

Captain Vancouver now proposed, as it was moderate & pleasant weather, to visit the furthermost branch of the Sound, where Capt Cook left off his Survey, in order to obtain some knowledge of its termination. As this expedition might possibly take some days, we naturally examined our stock of provision, & foresaw we should be at a very short allowance of the most material articles, which were bread & liquor, for the rest of our subsistence we could in some measure depend on the produce of the country, with the assistance of our guns & fishing tackle. We however set out with the other two boats on this expedition with a fluctuating breeze, but for the most part favourable, & leaving Long Island on the right, we passed through Resolution Passage & entered the North Arm in the dusk of the evening; the wind having here headed us, it was late before we rowd about three miles further to reach Beachy Harbour, where we remained for the night, & the other two boats being somewhat astern & the night very dark, our first object was to make a large fire to denote to them our situation, which they soon after found out, & having pitched our tents we found it very necessary to keep a fire burning before each all night as we felt it exceeding cold, the mountains near us being covered with snow pretty low down; our greatest comfort was that the weather remained fair & calm.

In the morning of the 14th. we again embarked in our boats, & passing on the inside of some Island* which lay off the harbour we proceeded up the Arm leaving on our right hand some steep naked precipices & deep chasms with beautiful cataracts of considerable height, which with the romantic wildness of the country had a very picturesque appearance. By nine in the forenoon we reachd the furthest extent of Capt Cook's Survey, & landed in a small creek opposite to the third Cove near the end of his apparent Island, where we took some refreshment, after which, as the arm here divided into two branches, it was

* Entry Island.

page 490 agreed to separate, & that Capt Vancouver should go up the one to the left* with the Discovery's two Boats, & we the other in the Chatham's Cutter, appointing a small Island near where we parted as a place of rendezvous in case we should not meet further up.

That which we examined was about half a mile wide, & ran in a winding direction East North East for about 6 miles, when it terminated in a low circular valley, backed by a solid ridge of Snowy Mountains from which it received two large streams. of fresh water. A little way from the head is another small Valley on the Northern side, faced by a fine sandy beach, the banks of which are broken with beds of torrents & considerable streams of water running through to their conflux & like the other is backed by lofty Mountains whose steep & craggy sides are adorned with evergreens of different kinds, while the summits are enveloped in perpetual snow, affording a lively contrast to a wild & romantic scene. The rest of the Arm is bound in on both sides by a rocky shore arising abruptly into steep rugged mountains, & in some places overhanging precipices of great elevation.

On returning to the place of rendezvous we found Capt Vancouver & his party waiting our arrival on the small island after having finished the Arm they went up, which they said took a North East direction for about six Miles & then took a short turn round to the westward for about two miles further where it ended in low Marshy Land. Thus proving beyond a doubt what Capt Cook had not time to do, that neither of these branches communicate with any to the Northward, and that his apparent Island is only a narrow point of land separating these two small branches & rising steep from the water side to a peaked summit of considerable height.

As the evening was clear & fair we embraced a light favourable breeze down the Arm and reached Sandy Cove near its entrance before dark, where we soon cleared a very eligible spot for the evening's encampment. After kindling a fire & refreshing ourselves on whatever game & fish the day afforded, we drank a cheerful glass to the memory of Capt Cook, whose steps we were now pursuing, & as far as we had opportunity to trace them, we could not help reflecting with peculiar pleasure & admiration on the justness of his observations & the accuracy of his delineations throughout every part of the complicated survey of this extensive Sound, where he had left solittle for us to finish.

* Now called Vancouver Arm.

Now called Broughton Arm.

page 491

As the weather was now so exceeding fine & we observed it to be generally calm at night, in the morning we set off at a very early hour on the 15th. from Sandy Cove in order to get through Resolution passage* before any breeze made against us, & we rowed on without much obstruction to the entrance of Duck Cove about 12 miles in distance where we landed & refreshed ourselves with our last quarter biscuit of bread each, after which Capt Vancouver returnd to the ship & we stretchd over to Pickersgill's Harbour to view the spot which the Resolution so snugly occupied about 18 years ago. Here we visited the eminence on which the Observatory was pitchd, & attentively searchd for the Garden, but could not find the least traces or remains of it; the place facing where the ship lay was indeed clear of large trees, but so thickly covered with Brush wood & tall ferns as to hide the mark of the Axe & Saw in their stumps without a diligent examination, so that there is scarcely anything now remaining that would point out the situation to a stranger had it not been so well recorded. We found a note that had been left for us two days before by Capt Vancouver's party, & returnd on board in the evening, after being out three nights & four days.

In the forenoon of the 16th. I accompanied Lt Puget to Facile Harbour, as that neighbourhood seemed more favourable for my researches, & after visiting the Chatham & the adjacent shores we went into Ear-shell Cove, where we made a fire & erected a temporary shelter with the Boats sails for the evening.

A considerable rivulet emptied itself into this Cove, near which we found the remains of two old huts similar in their structure to those already seen, with a number of different kinds of shells scattered round them, particularly Earshells.

Early next morning I made a short excursion up the side of the Mountains along the course of the Rivulet, which I found pretty clear & accessible, & if any attempt is ever made to reach the summits of the mountains in this Country I think the beds of torrents afford the most likely paths for accomplishing it, especially in dry seasons.

About breakfast time we were joined by Lt Broughton in his little boat, & spent the day agreably in visiting places adjacent, for the weather was exceeding fine & favourable for such excursions, & it would seem as if Summer had only now commenced in this Country, for in the day time we felt it very hot, & the flies were become very troublesome. The woods here

* Now called the Acheron Passage.

From 27th March to 29th April, 1773.

Lieutenant Peter Puget, of H.M.S. “Discovery.”

page 492 are well stocked with Parrots; one of them was wounded with a shot in a tree which made such a hideous noise that it brought several others about it from different parts of the wood, but their sympathising provd fatal to about a dozen of them, which were shot in a short time without stirring from the foot of the same tree, till at last, finding their number decrease so fast, the two or three surviving ones went away with a pitiful noise, seeming to bemoan the fate of their fellow-companions.

In the evening we returned again on board the Discovery, & found preparations were now making for leaving this place. I brought with me live plants of the Wintera aromatica, which were planted in the frame on quarter deck.

Early on the 18th. we weighd anchor, & the wind being scanty, with the assistance of the boats ahead went out of the Harbour, but came to again in 38 fathoms water near Parrot Island to wait for fair wind and the Chatham's joining us. After we came to an anchor Lt Baker was sent with a party of men & three boats to strike the Tent & bring it & the Brewing utensils &c on board. I embracd the same opportunity to bring several live plants, among which was the New Zealand Flax plant, with a view, if they succeeded in the frame on board, to carry them to his Majesty's Gardens.

In the evening a Boat was sent into Facile Harbour, where they found the Chatham preparing to come out & join us, which she attempted to do the following day, but the weather proved so boisterous & squally that she was not able to accomplish it, & was obliged to put back again.

The appearance of the weather on the 20th was nowise favourable, the Sky to the Southward appeared overcast with a rising bank of dark clouds seeming to portend a gale from that quarter, & our situation in that event not being a very eligible one, we were indued to run into Facile Harbour, where we anchord again in 38 fathoms, & for further security steadied the Ship with a Hawser to the trees on shore.

On the 21st Capt Vancouver was employd in Sounding the entrance of the Harbour, which he found very favourable for anchorage in case a Vessel was necessitated to run in for it in a gale of wind. A boat was likewise employd in watering & another in fishing, the latter was not long gone when she returnd with a sufficient quantity of fish for all the Ship's Company. In the afternoon I went on shore, & in a short time shot about a dozen & half of the Poe birds without moving 20 yards from where I landed; these were dressd in a pie next day, & they were allowd by all who tasted to be the most delicate & savoury food we had yet used of the produce of this Country.

page 493

Before our departure I will here offer some few observations on the Country & its produce.

The Bay is interspersed with numerous Islands & variou Inlets, affording an easy access into the Country for about 30 miles, & it is almost everywhere bound in by a rocky indented shore forming in some places overhanging precipices of considerable height, & for the most part rising by a steep ascent to form exceeding high mountains whose craggy cliffs & dreary precipices are in great measure hidden from the eye of the beholder by a luxuriant covering of verdant woods even from high water mark to at least three fourths of their elevation. The summits of some appear coverd with a greenish Turf, while others are seen naked barren & rocky, apparently elevated beyond the powers of vegetation, & those inland still more remote & lofty are enveloped in perpetual snow, so that a prospect more wild & romantic than the general appearance of this country is seldom to be met with.

On the sides of these Mountains, the soil is a light blackish mould of a soft spungy texture, evidently formd from decayd vegetables, & every where coverd with a carpet of Mosses that naturally preserves a warmth & moisture more favourable to the luxuriancy of its produce in many places than the depth of the soil, but in the bottom of the vallies & on the low land which in a few places stretches out from the foot of the Mountains the soil is somewhat deeper & is intermixed with a redish friable earth that affords growth & nourishment to a very thick forest of trees & underwood, which would not fail to impede in a considerable degree the progress of cultivation should a settlement ever be thought of in this remote region, as the clearing & preparing the ground would be a work of immense labor, indeed the only inducement I can at present discover to such a design would be the establishing of a plantation of the New Zealand Flax which grows here spontaneous, & the variety of fine timber with which the country abounds, but these objects may no doubt be obtained to greater advantage in a more northerly situation of the Island, where the climate will be more favourable.

Facile Harbour, on account of its easy access, is the most eligible part in the whole Bay, as it is found safe & capacious, & surrounded with more low land than any other part, at the same time possessing the advantage of procuring with little trouble every kind of refreshment which the country affords.

The climate appears temperate & healthy, though often exposed to the visitation of very strong gales of wind & frequently heavy rains, the natural consequences of a mountainous & woody page 494 country. During the latter part of our stay the weather was mild & pleasant, we generally had a gentle breeze of wind from the sea in the daytime & calm at night, & the rise & fall of the Mercury in the Thermometer during the whole period averaged at about 62° of Farenheit's scale, yet it may seem strange that in all our excursions we met with very few plants in flower & only two in seeds, the one was that which has obtaind the name of Supple Jack with red berries, & the other apparently a Juniper with white berries. This evidently shows that the Summer was but just set in, & that the year here is markd only by two seasons, summer & winter, for the Trees & Shrubs are mostly evergreens, & show very little change in their foliage or natural verdure throughout the year.

As this place was found inhabited by several families when Capt Cook was here it may appear singular that we did not meet with any of the Natives in our various excursions. Indeed, I am much afraid that his liberality towards them has been in some measure the cause of this apparent depopulation, by affording a pretext for war to a more powerful tribe, ambitious to possess the riches he left them, which in all probability has ended in their total destruction, for if we except the few old huts we saw in & about Facile Harbour, we met with no other traces of them anywhere in the Sound, & these to all appearance were formd only for temporary shelter, & bore no marks of being very recently inhabited.

In the forenoon of the 22nd. I went on shore & shot another parcel of Poe Birds, which were found equally good & relishing. The fishing boat likewise returnd successfull, & the wind which was light & fluctuating about two in the afternoon settled at North, with which we both weighd anchor, & after running out of the harbour by a narrow passage hoisted in the boats & made all the sail we could out of the Bay to gain a good offing before dark, which by six in the evening we so far effected that the West Cape of New Zealand bore East of us four Leagues, & as it was intended to go round the South end of the Island we now shaped a south course, with all the Sail which a strong gale from the North West sufferd us to make. This gale continued augmenting in its course till it increased to a most violent storm attended with dark hazy weather heavy rain & boisterous sea which broke incessantly over us & kept us wet and uncomfortable the whole night.

The following morning brought no alleviation to our hopes, on the contrary the dawn ushered in with the redoubled fury of a storm that had now reducd us to our foresail & obliged us to scud before it as our only expedient for safety.

page 495

At this time we were not a little alarmd at the sudden report of seven feet water in the Hold. The chain pumps were immediately set a going for the first time since we left England, & all hands stood by to take their spell, when it was soon found to our great satisfaction that we gained upon it & in a short time pumpd all out.

As the day advanced we discovered we were separated from our Consort the Chatham, for she was not to be seen any where within our horizon from the Mast head.*

In the forenoon the gale abated, & the weather, which was still dark & gloomy, became more moderate, so that we were able to make Sail again. In some part of this Storm the Barometer was again so low as 29.20. At eleven we saw land about five leagues to the Eastward of us. At this time we had vast flights of Blue Petrels, some Albatrosses, & a few Pintadoe Birds about us & at noon the observed Latitude was 48° 6′ South when the above Land bore N. 60 E. which we now found to be a cluster of seemingly barren Islands & peaked insulated rocks consisting of about 7 or 8 in number, & ranging nearly East & West about nine miles in extent; the largest is near the East end of the group, & may be about two leagues in circumference, & of a Height sufficient to be seen in clear weather eight or nine leagues off. As these were now considered a new discovery, they were called the Snares, a name sufficiently applicable to their lurking situation & appearance, & will we hope induce any vessel bound this way to give them a good birth. They are situated in the Latitude of 48° 3′ S and in the Longitude of 166° 20′ East of Greenwich, so that no part of Capt Cook's tract will be found within ten leagues of them, which will sufficiently account for his not seeing them when he passed round this end of New Zealand. We bore up on the outside of them at the distance of about six Miles, but it was so hazy that we could not distinguish any signs of vegetation upon them, nor is it probable from their appearance there was any except upon the largest — they appeard however to afford secure & inaccessible retreats to vast numbers of Oceanic Birds, Seals, & Penguins with which we were now surrounded.

In the afternoon the breeze still continued fresh & the weather dark & cloudy. At four the Snares bore N. 30 W. six leagues off. From this time we pursued an easterly course for 25 leagues to shun the Traps, a shoal & sunken rocks which lay off the South point of New Zealand.

* They did not meet again until 30th December, at Matawai Bay, Tahiti.

page 496