10th December 1769

[Off Rangaunu Bay, North Island, New Zealand]

Had the winds from the Western board all this day, a Gentle breeze and clear weather. In the evening found the Variation to be 12 degrees 41 minutes East per Azimuth and 12 degrees 40 minutes by the Amplitude; in the morning we stood Close in with the Land, 7 Leagues to the westward of Doubtless Bay. Here the shore forms another large open Bay; the Bottom of this and Doubtless Bay cannot be far from each other, being to all appearance only seperated by a low neck of land from which juts out a Peninsula or head land, which I have named Knockle Point. West by South 6 Leagues from this point and about the Middle of the Bay is a high Mountain or Hill standing upon a desart shore, on which account we called it Mount Camel; Latitude 34 degrees 51 minutes; Longitude 186 degrees 50 minutes. In this Bay we had 24 and 25 fathoms Water, the bottom good for Anchorage, but their seems to be nothing that can induce Shipping to put into it for no Country upon Earth can look more barren than the land about this bay doth. It is in general low, except the Mountain just Mentioned, and the Soil to all appearance nothing but white sand thrown up in low irregular hills, lying in Narrow ridges parrallel with the shore; this occasioned me to name it Sandy Bay.* (* Rangaunu Bay.) The first ridge behind the Sea beach is partly cover'd with Shrubs, Plants, etc., but the second ridge hath hardly any green thing upon it, which induced me to think that it lies open to the Western Sea. As barren as this land appears it is not without inhabitants. We saw a Village on this Side of Mount Camel and another on the Eastern side of the Bay, besides 5 Canoes that were pulling off to the Ship, but did not come up with us. At 9 a.m. we tacked and stood to the Northward at Noon. Latitude in Per observation 34 degrees 38 minutes. The Cavalle Isles bore South-East by East, distant 13 Leagues; the Northern Extremity of the land in sight making like an Island bore North-West 1/4 North, distant 9 Leagues, and Mount Camel bore South-West by South, distant 6 Leagues. Tacked and stood in Shore.

Joseph Banks Journal

This morn we were near the land which was as barren as it is possible to conceive: hills within hills and ridges even far inland were coverd with white sand on which no kind of vegetable was to be seen, it was conjecturd by some that the wind blow[s] the sand quite across it. Some Indian forts or Heppah's were seen and from them some canoes put off but did not overtake us.

Sydney Parkinson Journal

On the 10th, the wind was N.W. we beat to windward, and made but little way. The land in fight was very low, and very barren, being mostly sandy, having here and there a few bushes, but scarce a tree to be seen, yet it appeared to be inhabited.