16th October 1769

[In Hawkes Bay, North Island, New Zealand]

First and latter part, fresh breezes, Northerly; in the night, Variable and sometimes calm. At 2 p.m. passed by a Small but a Pretty high white Island lying close to the Shore. On this Island we saw a good many Houses, Boats, and Some People. We concluded that they must be fishers, because the Island was quite barren; we likewise saw several people upon the Shore in a small Bay on the Main within the Island. At 7 the Southermost land in sight bore South-West by South, and Cape Kidnapper North 3/4 East, distant 8 leagues, being then about 2 Leagues from the Shore, and had 55 fathoms. At 11 brought too until daylight, then made Sail along shore to the Southward. At 7 passed a pretty high point of Land, which lies South-South-West, 12 Leagues from Cape Kidnapper. From this point the Land Trends 3/4 of a point more to the Westward. At 10 saw more land appear to the Southward, at South-West by South. At Noon the Southermost land in sight bore South 39 degrees West, distant 8 or 10 Leagues, and a high Bluff head with Yellowish Cliffs bore West, distant 2 miles, Latitude observed 40 degrees 34 minutes South; depth of water 32 fathoms.

Joseph Banks Journal

Mountains coverd with snow were in sight again this morn so that there is probably a chain of them runs within the countrey. Land makes in smooth hills like downs with little or no wood in sight; after breakfast white cliffs again look as barren as ever. Vast shoals of fish were about the ship, pursued by as large flocks of brownish birds a little bigger than a pigeon Nectris munda. Their method of fishing was amusing enough, a whole flock of birds would follow the fish who swam fast along: they continualy plungd themselves under water and soon after rose again in another place, so that the whole flock vanishd sometimes, at others a large part of it and rose again often where you did not expect them, and in less than a minutes time they were down again and so alternately as long as we saw them.

Before dinner we were abreast of another cape which made in a bluff rock, the upper part of a reddish coulourd stone or clay the lower white; beyond this the Countrey appeard pleasant with little smooth hills like downs. The Captn thought it not nescessary to proceed any farther on this side of the coast so the ships head was again turnd to the northward and the cape from thence call Cape Turnagain.

At night we were off Hawks bay and saw two monstrous fires inland on the hills: we are now inclind to think that these and most if not all the great smoaks and fires that we have seen are made for the convenience of clearing land for tillage, but for whatever purposes intended they are a certain indication that where they are the countrey is inhabited.  [Image: Cliffs near Cape Turnagain]

Sydney Parkinson’s Journal

We had several fisher canoes come to us; and, after much persuasion, they gave us some fish for cloth and trinkets; but none of their fish was quite fresh, and some of it stank intolerably They went away very well satisfied, and then a larger canoe, full of people, came up to us, having their faces shockingly besmeared with some paint. An old man, who sat in the stern, had on a garment of some beast's skin, with long hair, dark brown and white border, which we would have purchased, but they were not willing to part with any thing. When the captain threw them a piece of red baize for it, they paddled away immediately; held a conference with the fisher's boats, and then returned to the ship.We had laid a scheme to trepan them, intending to have thrown a running bow line about the head of the canoe, and to have hoisted her up to the anchor; but, just as we had got her a-head for that purpose, they seized Toobaiah's little boy, who was in the main-chains, and made off with him, which prevented the execution of our plan. We fired some muskets and great guns at them, and killed several of them. The boy, soon after, disingaged himself from them, jumped into the sea, swam toward the ship, and we lowered down a boat and took him up, while the canoes made to land as fast as possible.

The speech of these people was not so guttural as the others, for they spoke more like the Otaheiteans. Many of them had good faces; their noses rather high than flat; and some of them had their hair most curiously brought up to their crowns, rolled round, and knotted.

In the evening, we were over-against a point of land, which, from the circumstance of stealing the boy, we called Cape Kidnappers. On doubling the cape, we thought to have met with a snug bay, but were disappointed, the land tending away to a point southward. Soon after we saw a small island, which, from its desolate appearance, we called Bare Island.