17th August 1769

Tahiti to New Zealand

A Gentle breeze with some flying showers of rain. Had a large Swell from the South-West all this day, much larger than yesterday, and this must be the reason why the observ'd Latitude differ'd from the Log again to day 16 miles. Wind West by South to South-West by South; course South-South-East; distance 76 miles; latitude 26 degrees 10 minutes South, longitude 149 degrees 46 minutes West.

Joseph Banks Journal

A heavy swell from the SW all day so we are not yet under the Lee of the continent: in the Even no wind. Our Taros (roots of the Yam kind calld in the W. Indies Cocos) faild us today, many of them were rotten; they would probably have kept longer had we had either time or opportunity of drying them well, but I beleive that at the best they are very much inferior to either Yamms or potatoes for keeping.

Sydney Parkinson’s Journal

On the 17th, we were becalmed most part of the day, and had a great swell from the west in latitude 26° 25' S. Thermometer 70.