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Harbour Named Molineux.

On the 18th February Banks Peninsula was sighted and named “Banks Island.” Dirty weather necessitated much tacking.

On March 4th, the weather having moderated, the vessel turned westward.

Here is the entry from Hawkesworth's “Account of Cook's Voyages”:—

“Sunday, 4th, 1770.—In the morning of the 4th we found the variation 16 degrees 16 minutes east. This day we saw some whales and seals… At noon we saw Cape Saunders bearing N. 1/2 W., and our latitude by observations was 46 degrees 31 minutes south. At half an hour past one o'clock we saw land bearing west by south, which we steered for, and before it was dark were within three or four miles of it; during the whole night we saw fires upon it, and at 7 in the morning (Monday, 5th) we were within about 3 leagues of the shore, which appeared to be high but level…”

But Sydney Parkinson, who was draughtsman to Sir Joseph Banks, on board the “Endeavour,” and who died at Batavia in January, 1771, while on the homeward voyage, is more informative:—

“On the 4th March, 1770, after having been beat about with adverse winds for nearly a week, by the favour of a breeze from the north we again got sight of land, which tended away to the south–west and appeared to be of great extent. We had a continual rolling swell from the south–west, and saw the appearance of a harbour which we named Moulineux's Harbour, after the name of the master of our ship.”

Continuing southwards, on the 6th March Cook saw Ruapuke, with Stewart Island looming up behind it. Passing on a moonlit night between some dangerous reefs, which he named “The Traps,” on the 10th March Cape South was rounded, and the last chance of finding a continental connection for New Zealand was gone for ever.

Passing and naming Solander Island, a stay at Dusky Bay, and then on past Cascade Point, Cape Foulwind, Cape Farewell, Stephens Island, and so once again to Queen Charlotte Sound, proved to Cook, and then to the world, that the South Island was really an island.

On April 1st, 1779, the “Endeavour” passed Cape Farewell on the homeward journey. Cook had completed a great job. He had sailed round both islands, annexed them, and mapped them. Pember Reeves says, “… he found New Zealand a line on the map, and left it an archipelago.”

When the sailormen of the world examined this new map of New Zealand, they saw printed the words “Molineux's Harbour.” Lieutenant James Cook, R.N., had literally put Molineux's Harbour on the map.