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New Zealand (continued)

Admiralty Bay that appear'd to be Mineral in some degree, but Dr Solander was of opinion that they contain'd no sort of Metal: the white Stone we saw near the South Cape and some other parts to the Southward which I took to be a kind of Marble such as I had seen on one of the Hills I was upon ^in Mercury b^ay, Mr Banks I afterwards found was of opinion that they were Mineral to the highest degree who is certainly a ^much better judge of these things than I am and therefore I might be mistaken in my opinion, which was only founded on what I had before seen, not only in this country but in other parts where I have been - and at the same time I must observe we were not less than Six or Eight leagues from the land and nearer it was not possible for us at that time to come without runing the ship into apparent danger.   however I am no judge how far Mineral can be distinguished as such - certain it is that in the southern parts of this country there are whole Mountains of nothing else but stone some of which no doubt may be found to contain metal —

Should it ever become an object of settleing this Country the best place for the first fixing of a Colony would be either in the River Thames or the Bay of Islands, for at either of these places they would have the advantage of a good harbour and by means of the former an easy communication would be had and settlements might be extended into the inland parts of the Country.  for at a

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© Transcribed from National Library of Australia Manuscript 1 page 209, 2004
Published by South Seas
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