The morning on the 10th of March being calm, the ship then about four miles from the land, sent the great cutter on shore with the second lieutenant, to find if there was any harbour or good bay. Soon after, it beginning to blow very hard, made the signal for the boat to return several times, but they did not see or hear any thing of it; the ship then three or four leagues off, that we could not see any thing of the boat, which gave us great uneasiness, as there was a very great sea. At half past one P. M. to our great satisfaction, the boat returned on board safe. They landed, but with much difficulty, and saw several places where the Indians had been, and one they lately had left, where they had a fire, with a great number of pearl scallop shells round it, which shells they brought on board, with some burnt sticks and green boughs. There was a path from this place, through the woods, which in all probability leads to their habitations; but, by reason of the weather, had not time to pursue it. The soil seems to be very rich; the country well clothed with wood, particularly on the lee side of the hills; plenty of water, which falls from the rocks in beautiful cascades for two or three hundred feet perpendicular into the sea; but they did not see the least sign of any place to anchor in with safety. Hoisted in the boat, and made sail for Frederick Henry Bay. From noon to three P. M. running along shore E. by N. at which time we were abreast of the westernmost point of a very deep bay, called by Tasman, Stormy Bay. From the west to the east point of this bay, there are several small islands, and black rocks which we called the Fryars. While crossing this bay we had very heavy squalls and thick weather; at times, when it cleared up, I saw several fires in the bottom of the bay, which is near two or three leagues deep, and has, I doubt not, good places for anchoring, but the weather being so bad, did not think it safe to stand into it. From the Fryars the land trenches away about N. by E. four leagues. We had smooth water, and kept in shore, having regular soundings from twenty to fifteen fathoms’ water. At half past six we hauled round a high bluff point, the rocks whereof were like so many fluted pillars, and had ten fathoms water, fine sand, within half a mile of the shore. At seven, being abreast of a fine bay, and having little wind, we came to, with the small bower, in twenty-four fathoms, sandy bottom. Just after we anchored, being a fine clear evening, had a good observation of the star Antares and the moon, which gave the longitude of 147° 34ʹ east, being in the latitude of 43° 20ʹ south. We first took this bay to be that which Tasman called Frederick Henry Bay; but afterwards found that his is laid down five leagues to the northward of this.
At day-break the next morning, I sent the master in shore to sound the bay, and to find out a watering place; at eight he returned, having found a most excellent harbour, clear ground from side to side, from eighteen to five fathom water all over the bay, gradually decreasing as you go in shore. We weighed and turned up into the bay; the wind being westerly, and very little of it, which baffled us much in getting in. At seven o’clock in the evening, we anchored in seven fathoms water, with the small bower, and moored with the coasting anchor to the westward, the north point of the bay N. N. E. 1⁄2 E. (which we take to be Tasman’s Head,) and the easternmost point (which we named Penguin Island, from a curious one we caught there) N. E. by E. 3⁄4 E. the watering place W. 1⁄2 N. about one mile from the shore on each side; Maria’s Island, which is about five or six leagues off, shut in with both points; so that you are quite land-locked in a most spacious harbour.
We lay here five days, which time was employed in wooding and watering (which is easily got), and overhauling the rigging. We found the country very pleasant; the soil a black, rich, though thin one; the sides of the hills covered with large trees, and very thick, growing to a great height before they branch off. They are, all of them, of the Evergreen kind, different from any I ever saw; the wood is very brittle and easily split; there is very little variety of sorts, having seen but two. The leaves of one are long and narrow; and the seed (of which I got a few) is in the shape of a button, and has a very agreeable smell. The leaves of the other are like the bay, and it has a seed like the white thorn, with an agreeable spicy taste and smell. Out of the trees we cut down for fire-wood, there issued some gum, which the surgeon called gumlac. The trees are mostly burnt, or scorched near the ground, occasioned by the natives setting fire to the under-wood in the most frequented places; and by these means they have rendered it easy walking. The land birds we saw, are a bird like a raven; some of the crow kind, black, with the tips of the feathers of the tail and wings white, their bill long and very sharp; some paroquets; and several kinds of small birds. The sea-fowl are ducks, teal, and the sheldrake. I forgot to mention a large white bird, that one of the gentlemen shot, about the size of a large kite of the eagle kind. As for beasts, we saw but one, which was an opossum; but we observed the dung of some, which we judged to be of the deer kind. The fish in the bay are scarce; those we caught were mostly sharks, dog fish, and a fish called by the seamen nurses, like the dog fish, only full of small white spots; and some small fish not unlike sprats. The lagoons (which are brackish) abound with trout, and several other sorts of fish, of which we caught a few with lines, but being much encumbered with stumps of trees, we could not haul the seine.
While we lay here, we saw several smokes and large fires, about eight or ten miles in shore to the northward, but did not see any of the natives; though they frequently come into this bay, as there were several wigwams or huts, where we found some bags and nets made of grass, in which I imagine they carry their provisions and other necessaries. In one of them there was the stone they strike fire with, and tinder made of bark, but of what tree could not be distinguished. We found in one of their huts, one of their spears, which was made sharp at one end, I suppose, with a shell or stone. Those things we brought away, leaving in the room of them, medals, gun-flints, a few nails, and an old empty barrel with the iron hoops on it. They seem to be quite ignorant of every sort of metal. The boughs, of which their huts are made, are either broken or split, and tied together with grass in a circular form, the largest end stuck in the ground, and the smaller parts meeting in a point at the top, and covered with fern and bark; so poorly done that they will hardly keep out a shower of rain. In the middle is the fire-place, surrounded with heaps of muscle, pearl scallop, and cray-fish shells; which I believe to be their chief food, though we could not find any of them. They lie on the ground, on dried grass, round the fire; and, I believe, they have no settled place of habitation (as their houses seemed built only for a few days), but wander about in small parties from place to place in search of food, and are actuated by no other motive. We never found more than three or four huts in a place, capable of containing three or four persons each only; and what is remarkable, we never saw the least marks either of canoe or boat, and it is generally thought they have none; being altogether, from what we could judge, a very ignorant and wretched set of people, though natives of a country capable of producing every necessary of life, and a climate the finest in the world. We found not the least signs of any minerals or metals.
Having completed our wood and water, we sailed from Adventure Bay, intending to coast it up along shore, till we should fall in with the land seen by Captain Cook, and discover whether Van Diemen’s Land joins with New Holland. On the 16th we passed Maria’s Islands, so named by Tasman; they appear to be the same as the main land. On the 17th, having passed Schouten’s Islands, we hauled in for the main land, and stood along shore at the distance of two or three leagues off. The country here appears to be very thickly inhabited, as there was a continual fire along shore as we sailed. The land hereabouts is much pleasanter, low and even; but no signs of a harbour or bay, where a ship might anchor with safety. The weather being bad, and blowing hard at S. S. E., we could not send a boat on shore to have any intercourse with the inhabitants. In the latitude of 40° 50ʹ south, the land trenches away to the westward, which I believe forms a deep bay, as we saw from the deck several smokes arising a-back of the islands that lay before it, when we could not see the least signs of land from the mast head.
From the latitude of 40° 50ʹ south, to the latitude of 39° 50ʹ south, is nothing but islands and shoals; the land high, rocky, and barren. On the 19th, in the latitude of 40° 30ʹ south, observing breakers about half a mile within shore of us, we sounded, and finding but eight fathoms, immediately hauled off, deepened our water to fifteen fathoms, then bore away, and kept along shore again. From the latitude of 39° 50ʹ to 39° S. we saw no land, but had regular soundings from fifteen to thirty fathoms. As we stood on to the northward, we made land again in about 39°; after which we discontinued our northerly course, as we found the ground very uneven, and shoal water some distance off. I think it a very dangerous shore to fall in with.
The coast, from Adventure Bay to the place where we stood away for New Zealand, lies in the direction S. 1⁄2 W. and N. 1⁄2 E. about seventy-five leagues; and it is my opinion that there is no straits between New Holland and Van Diemen’s Land, but a very deep bay. I should have stood farther to the northward, but the wind blowing strong at S. S. E., and looking likely to haul round to the eastward, which would have blown right on the land, I therefore thought it more proper to leave the coast, and steer for New Zealand.
After we left Van Diemen’s Land, we had very uncertain weather, with rain and very heavy gusts of wind. On the 24th, we were surprised with a very severe squall, that reduced us from top-gallant sails to reefed courses, in the space of an hour. The sea rising equally quick, we shipped many waves, one of which stove the large cutter, and drove the small one from her lashing into the waist; and with much difficulty we saved her from being washed over-board. This gale lasted twelve hours, after which we had more moderate weather, intermixed with calms. We frequently hoisted out the boats to try the currents, and in general found a small drift to the W. S. W. We shot many birds; and had upon the whole good weather; but as we got near to the land, it came on thick and dirty for several days, till we made the coast of New Zealand in 40° 30ʹ S. having made twenty-four degrees of longitude, from Adventure Bay, after a passage of fifteen days.
We had the winds much southerly in this passage, and I was under some apprehensions of not being able to fetch the Straits, which would have obliged us to steer away for George’s Island; I would therefore advise any who sail to this part, to keep to the southward; particularly in the fall of the year, when the S. and S. E. winds prevail.
The land, when we first made it, appeared high, and formed a confused jumble of hills and mountains. We steered along shore to the northward, but were much retarded in our course by reason of the swell from the N. E. At noon on the 3d of April, Cape Farewell, which is the south point of the entrance of the west side of the Straits, bore E. by N. 1⁄2 N. by the compass, three or four leagues distant. About eight o’clock we entered the Straits, and steered N. E. till midnight; then brought to till day-light, and had soundings from forty-five to fifty-eight fathoms, sand and broken shells. At day-light, made sail and steered S. E. by E.; had light airs; Mount Egmont N. N. E. eleven or twelve leagues, and Point Stephens S. E. 1⁄2 E. seven leagues. At noon, Mount Egmont N. by E. twelve leagues; Stephens’ Island S. E. five leagues. In the afternoon we put the dredge over-board in sixty-five fathoms; but caught nothing except a few small scallops, two or three oysters, and broken shells.