Though we had been so long out at sea, in a distant part of the world, we had a roasted leg of mutton, and French-beans for dinner; and the fare of Old England afforded us a grateful repast.

This day we sounded, and found no bottom at 120 fathoms.

On the 2d, the sea was as smooth as the Thames, and the weather fair and clear. Mr. Banks went out in a little boat, and diverted himself in shooting of Shear-waters, with one white Albatross, that measured, from the tip of one wing to the other, ten feet, seven inches; and also picked up a great many weeds of various kinds: we saw also several sorts of rock-weed; and the water looked as green as it does in the channel.

On the 4th, we had light breezes from the S. E. with clear sharp weather. In the morning we saw some rock-weed; and, in the evening, a great shoal of bottle-nosed porpoises swam along-side of the ship, with a great number of other porpoises, having sharp white snouts, and their sides and bellies of the same colour.

On the 5th, we had light breezes from the N. E. and pleasant weather: about two o'clock in the afternoon one of our people, Nicholas Young, the surgeon's boy, descried a point of land, of New Zealand, from the starboard bow, at about nine leagues distance, bearing W. and by N. we bore up to it, and, at sun-set, we had a good view of it. The land was high, and it appeared like an island. We regaled ourselves in the evening upon the occasion; the land was called Young Nick's Head, and the boy received his reward. The sea, on this coast, was full of a small transparent animal, which, upon examination, we called Beroe Coaretata. Latitude 38° 4° *.

On the 8th, we had light breezes and dead calms all day, and could not get in nearer the land than two or three leagues; but it appeared, at this distance, to be of considerable extent, with many small islands around it; and had rising hills like the coast of Portugal. We saw smoke ascend from different parts, and thence concluded that it was inhabited. The two extreme points of the land bore N. and S.S.W. We saw several grampusses, but few birds.

* As we have, in pl. XXV given a map of the coast of New Zealand, in which the latitudes and longitudes, of the several places we explored, are correctly set down, we shall, in our account of that island, omit mentioning the situation of places in that respect, and, once for all, refer the reader to the map.

Voyaging Accounts