16th March 1770

[Off the New Zealand Sounds]

Winds at South-West; a fresh breeze and Clear. Steer'd along shore North-East 1/4 East until 6 p.m., when we Shortned Sail, and brought too for the Night. Variation per Azimuth 13 degrees 48 minutes East. At 4 A.M. made sail, and Stood in for the land. At daylight saw the appearance of an inlet into the land; but upon a nearer approach found that it was only a deep Valley, bounded on each side by high lands, upon which we bore away North-East 1/4 East along shore, keeping about 4 or 5 miles off. At Noon the Northermost point of land in sight bore North 60 degrees East, distant 10 Miles; Latitude per Observation 44 degrees 5 minutes; Longitude made from Cape West 2 degrees 8 minutes East.

Joseph Banks Journal

Much snow on the ridges of the high hills, two were however seen on which was little or none: whatever the cause of it might be I could not guess, they were quite bare of trees or any kind of Vegetables and seemd to consist of a mouldering soft stone of the colour of Brick or light red ocre. About noon the countrey near the sea changd much for the better, appearing in broad Valleys clothd with prodigious fine woods out of which came many fine streams of water, but notwithstanding the fineness of the countrey there was not the smallest signs of inhabitants, nor indeed have we seen any since we made this land except the fire on the 4th.