30th December 1769

[Off North End of New Zealand]

Winds at South-West. P.M., hard Gales with some Squalls attended with rain. A.M., more moderate and fair. At 8 p.m. wore and stood to the North-West until 5 a.m., then wore and stood to the South-East and being pretty moderate we set the Topsails close Reef'd, but the South-West Sea runs so high that the Ship goes Bodily to leeward. At 6 saw the land bearing North-East distant about 6 Leagues which we judge to be the same as Tasman calls Cape Maria Van Dieman; at Noon it bore North-North-East 1/2 East and we could see the land extend to the East and Southward as far as South-East by East. Our Latitude by observation 34 degrees 50 minutes South.

Joseph Banks Journal

Blew very fresh still tho the heart of the Gale seemd to be broke: we have been driven much to the Northward so that today we once more passd in sight of Cape Maria and the 3 Kings.

Sydney Parkinson Journal

On the 30th, we discovered land to leeward of us, which we took for Cape Maria Van Diemen; but as the wind continued still very boisterous, and the sea ran very high, we did not venture to approach near it; we therefore tacked about, and stood to the N. W. intending to stand backwards and forwards till the weather should be more moderate. In the evening, we discovered the island of the Three Kings, on our lee-bow, and tacked about, without attempting to weather it.