Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World
frequently met with made it both dangerous and difficult to keep upon the
Coast. However, I shall point out the places that may be Erroneous in
this as I have done in the other. From Queen Charlotte's sound to Cape
Campbell, and as far to the South-West as the Latitude 43 degrees, will
be found to be pretty Accurate; between this Latitude and the Latitude 44
degrees 20 minutes the coast is very Doubtfully laid down, a part of
which we hardly, if at all, saw. From this last mentioned Latitude to
Cape Saunders we were generally at too great a distance to be Particular,
and the weather at the same time was unfavourable. The Coast, as it is
laid down from Cape Saunders to Cape South, and even to Cape West, is no
doubt in many places very erroneous, as we hardly were ever able to keep
near the Shore, and were sometimes blown off altogether. From the West
Cape down to Cape Farewell, and even to Queen Charlotte's sound, will in
most places be found to differ not much from the truth.* (* Cook's open
and plain statement as to the comparative accuracy of different parts of
his chart is much to be commended. It has been too much the fashion with
first explorers to leave such matters to be discovered by the student.
But the astonishing accuracy of his outline of New Zealand must be the
admiration of all who understand the difficulties of laying down a coast;
and when it is considered that this coastline is 2400 miles in extent,
the magnitude of the task will be realised by everybody. Never has a
coast been so well laid down by a first explorer, and it must have
required unceasing vigilance and continual observation, in fair weather
and foul, to arrive at such a satisfactory conclusion; and with such a
dull sailer as the Endeavour was, the six and a half months occupied in
the work must be counted as a short interval in which to do it.)
[Animals, Timber, etc., New Zealand.]
Mention is likewise made in the Chart of the appearance or aspect of the
face of the Country. With respect to Tovy Poenammu, it is for the most
part very Mountainous, and to all appearance a barren Country. The people
in Queen Charlotte's sound--those that came off to us from under the
Snowy Mountain, and the five we saw to the South-West of Cape
Saunders--were all the inhabitants, or Signs of inhabitants, we saw upon
the whole Island; but most part of the Sea Coast of Aeheinomouwe, except
the South-West side, is well inhabited; and although it is a hilly,
Mountainous Country, yet the very Hills and Mountains are many of them
cover'd with wood, and the Soil of the plains and Valleys appear'd to be
very rich and fertile, and such as we had an opportunity to examine we
found to be so, and not very much incumber'd with woods.
It was the Opinion of every body on board that all sorts of European
grain, fruit, Plants, etc., would thrive here; in short, was this Country
settled by an industrious people they would very soon be supplied not
only with the necessaries, but many of the Luxuries, of Life. The Sea,
Bays, and Rivers abound with a great Variety of Excellent Fish, the most
of them unknown in England, besides Lobsters, which were allowed by every
one to be the best they ever had eat. Oysters and many other sorts of
shell fish all Excellent in their kind. Sea and Water Fowls of all sorts
are, however, in no great plenty; those known in Europe are Ducks, Shags,
Gannets, and Gulls, all of which were Eat by us, and found exceeding
good; indeed, hardly anything came Amiss to us that could be Eat by Man.
Land fowl are likewise in no great plenty, and all of them, except
Quails, are, I believe, unknown in Europe; these are exactly like those
we have in England. The Country is certainly destitute of all sorts of
beasts, either wild or tame, except dogs and Rats; the former are tame,
and lived with the people, who breed and bring them up for no other
purpose than to Eat, and rats are so scarce that not only I, but many
others in the Ship, never see one. Altho' we have seen some few Seals,
and once a Sea Lion upon this Coast, yet I believe they are not only very
scarce,* (* There are a good many seals round the southern part of New
Zealand, and a regular fishery is now established on Stewart Island. Cook
saw nothing of the few natives that occupied the southern parts of the
Island.) but seldom or ever come ashore; for if they did the Natives
would certainly find out some Method of Killing them, the Skins of which
they no doubt would preserve for Cloathing, as well as the Skins of Dogs
and birds, the only Skins we ever saw among them. But they must sometimes
get Whales, because many of the Patta Pattoas are made of the bones of
some such fish, and an Ornament they wear at their breast (on which they
set great Value), which are supposed to be made of the Tooth of a Whale;
and yet we know of no method or instrument they have to kill these
Animals.
In the woods are plenty of Excellent Timber, fit for all purposes except
Ships' Masts; and perhaps upon a Close Examination some might be found
not improper for that purpose. There grows spontainously everywhere a
kind of very broad-bladed grass, like flags of the Nature of Hemp,* (*
The New Zealand flax (Phormium Tenax) is now a considerable article of
commerce. It furnishes a very strong fibre, and is made into rope, etc.)
of which might be made the very best of Cordage and Canvas, etc. There
are 2 sorts, one finer than the other; of these the Natives make Cloth,
rope, Lines, netts, etc. Iron Ore is undoubtedly to be found here,
particularly about Mercury Bays, where we found great quantities of Iron
sand; however, we met with no Ore of any Sort, neither did we ever see
any sort of Metal with the Natives. We met with some stones at Admiralty
Bay that appear'd to be Mineral in some degree, but Dr. Solander was of
Opinion that they contain'd no Sort of Metal* (* Gold and coal have been
found in New Zealand in large quantities. Gold at Otago and Hokatika in
the South Island, and at Thames in the North. The coalfields round the
Grey River are enormous, and have no doubt a great future; and this
useful mineral is also found in the Bay of Islands, and other places in
the North Island. Other metals, as copper, silver, antimony, have also
been found and worked.) The white stone we saw near the South Cape and
some other parts to the Southward, which I took to be a kind of Marble,
such as I had seen on one of the Hills I was upon in Mercury Bay, Mr.
Banks--I afterwards found--was of Opinion that they were Mineral to the
highest degree; he is certainly a much better Judge of these things than
I am, and therefore I might be mistaken in my opinion, which was only
founded on what I had before seen not only in this Country, but in other
parts where I have been; and at the same time I must observe we were not
less than 6 or 8 Leagues from the Land, and nearer it was not possible
for us at that time to come without running the Ship into Apparent
Danger. However, I am no Judge how far Mineral can be distinguished as
such; certain it is that in Southern parts of this Country there are
whole Mountains of Nothing Else but stone, some of which, no doubt, may
be found to contain Metal.
Should it ever become an object of settling this Country, the best place
for the first fixing of a Colony would be either in the River Thames or
the Bay of Islands; for at either of these places they would have the
advantage of a good Harbour, and by means of the former an Easy
Communication would be had, and settlements might be extended into the
inland parts of the Country. For a very little trouble and Expence small
Vessels might be built in the River proper for the Navigation thereof. It
is too much for me to assert how little water a Vessel ought to draw to
Navigate this River, even so far up as I was in the Boat; this depends
intirely upon the Depth of Water that is upon the bar or flat that lay
before the narrow part of the River, which I had not an opportunity of
making myself acquainted with, but I am of Opinion that a Vessel that
draws not above 10 or 12 feet may do it with Ease. So far as I have been
able to Judge of the Genius of these people it does not appear to me to
be at all difficult for Strangers to form a settlement in this Country;
they seem to be too much divided among themselves to unite in opposing,
by which means, and kind and Gentle usage, the Colonists would be able to
form strong parties among them.
The Natives of this Country are a Strong, rawboned, well made, Active
People, rather above than under the common size, especially the Men; they
are of a very dark brown colour, with black hair, thin black beards, and
white teeth, and such as do not disfigure their faces by tattowing, etc.,
have in general very good features. The Men generally were their Hair
long, Coomb'd up, and tied upon the Crown of their Heads; some of the
women were it long and loose upon their Shoulders, old women especially;
others again were it crop'd short. Their coombs are made some of bones,
and others of Wood; they sometimes Wear them as an Ornament stuck upright
in their Hair. They seem to enjoy a good state of Health, and many of
them live to a good old Age.* (* The Maoris were remarkable for
longevity, and for health and strength in old age.) Many of the old and
some of the Middle aged Men have their faces mark'd or tattow'd with
black, and some few we have seen who have had their buttocks, thighs, and
other parts of their bodies marked, but this is less common. The figures
they mostly use are spirals, drawn and connected together with great
nicety and judgement. They are so exact in the application of these
Figures that no difference can be found between the one side of the face
and the other, if the whole is marked, for some have only one side, and
some a little on both sides; hardly any but the old Men have the whole
tattow'd. From this I conclude that it takes up some time, perhaps Years,
to finish the Operation, which all Who have begun may not have
perseverance enough to go through, as the manner in which it must be done
must certainly cause intollerable pain, and may be the reason why so few
are Marked at all--at least I know no other. The Women inlay the Colour
of Black under the skins of their lips, and both sexes paint their faces
and bodies at times more or less with red Oker, mixed with fish Oil.
[Clothing of New Zealanders.]
Their common Cloathing are very much like square Thrumb'd Matts, that are
made of rope Yarns, to lay at the doors or passages into houses to clean
ones shoes upon. These they tie round their necks, the Thrumb'd side out,
and are generally large enough to cover the body as low as the knee; they
are made with very little Preparation of the broad Grass plant before
mentioned. Beside the Thrumb'd Matts, as I call them, they have other
much finer cloathing, made of the same plant after it is bleached and
prepared in such a Manner that it is as white and almost as soft as flax,
but much stronger. Of this they make pieces of cloth about 5 feet long
and 4 broad; these are wove some pieces close and others very open; the
former are as stout as the strongest sail cloth, and not unlike it, and
yet it is all work'd or made by hand with no other Instrument than a
Needle or Bodkin. To one end of every piece is generally work'd a very
neat border of different colours of 4 or 6 inches broad, and they very
often Trim them with pieces of Dog Skin or birds' feathers. These pieces
of Cloth they wear as they do the other, tying one End round their Necks
with a piece of string, to one end of which is fixed a Needle or Bodkin
made of Bone, by means of which they can easily fasten, or put the string
through any part of the Cloth; they sometimes wear pieces of this kind of