>m. of this continent, which hitherto remains wholly unexplored,
may perhaps open a way to the heart of the coun-*
try ; for it is not likely, that fo great an extent of land, fit
t e d under the tropic, fhould be deftitute of a great river,
and no part of the coaft feems better fituated than that for
its paflage into the fea.
After leaving this coaft, the Adventure continued fifteen
days at fea, on account of contrary winds, and at length
made the coaft of New Zeeland, near Rock’s Point, on the
fouthern ifland, on the third of April, at fix in the morning,
and came to an anchor at Ship Gove, Queen Charlottes
Sound, on the yth, ; “ l
During their flay here, they had made the fame eftablifti-
rnents oh fhore as we had done at Dufky Bay, except the
brewery, which they were not yet acquainted with. They
had found the hippA, or ftrong-hold of the natives, at the
fouthern end of Motu-Aro forfaken, and .their aftronomer
had fixed his obfervatory upon it. The inhabitants of this
found, Who amount to fome hundred peffons, m^fevcral
diftina and independent parties, often at variance with
each other, had begun an intercom* with them, and paid
them Tevefal vifits, coming from the interior parts., They
had been extremely well received, and did not hefitate to
come on board-, where they 'eat freely of the Tailor's povifions,
Slowing a particular liking to our bifcuit, and
peafer
peafe-foup. They had brought with them great quantities
©f their clothing, tools, and weapons, w h i c h they eagerly
exchanged for nails, hatchets, and cloth.
On the 11 th of May, being the fame day we failed out
of Dufky Bay, feveral of the Adventure’s people, who were
at work on fhore, or difperfed on fhooting parties, diftinft-
ly felt a fhock of an earthquake ; but thofe who remained on
board, did not perceive any thing of it. This circumftance
may ferve to evince the probability of volcanoes on New
Zeeland, as thefe two great phenomena 6n our globe feem
to be clofely connected together.
We arrived in Queen Charlotte’s Sound, at the time
when the Adventure’s erew began to defpair of ever meeting
with us again, and had made preparations to fpend the
whole winter in this harbour, in order to proceed to the
eaftward, with the enfuing fpring, to explore the South Sea-,
in high latitudes. Captain Cook, however, was by no
means inclined to lie inactive during fo many months,
efpecially as he knew, that confiderable refrefhments were
to be had at the Society Ifl.es, which he had vifited in his>
former voyage. He therefore gave directions to put both
floops in condition to go to fea, as foon as poflible ; and the
Refolution being entirely prepared for that purpofe, her
crew affifted that of the Adventure for the fake of greater-
difpatch..
We.- 1