23rd February 1770

[Off Timaru, Middle Island, New Zealand]
Winds Southerly, a Gentle breeze, and for the most part Cloudy weather. At sunset, the weather clearing up, presented to our View a high peaked Mountain* (* There are so many lofty mountains in this region that it is impossible to identify this. This ship was now no farther south than she had been five days earlier.) bearing North-West by North, and at the same time we saw the Land more Distincter than at any time we had before, extending from North to South-West by South, the inland parts of which appear'd to be high and Mountainous. We cannot tell yet whether or no this land joins to, or makes a part of, the land we have left; from the accounts received from the Natives of Queen Charlotte's sound it ought not, because if it did it must have been impossible for us to have sail'd round it in 4 Days; besides, the Mountains inland and the soundings off the Coast seem to indicate this Country to be more extensive than any they spoke of lying to the Southward. Having a large hollow swell from the South-East, which made me expect the Wind from the same quarter, we keept plying from 7 to 15 Leagues from the land, depth of Water 44 to 70 fathoms; at Noon our Latitude, by Observation, was 44 degrees 40 minutes South; Longitude made from Banks's Island 1 degree 31 minutes West.

Joseph Banks Journal
At noon today calm which gives us hopes that we may have a fair wind. As we have now been 4 days upon nearly the same part of the coast without seing any signs of inhabitants I think there is no doubt that this part at least is without inhabitants.

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