1769- of its figure, I called C a p e T a b l e . This point lies fevers
Ottober. , A
'-------- ) leagues to the fouthward of Poverty Bay, in latitude 39? 7' S*
Thurfday 12. ^ ]ongim,je ^gjO ^ \y.: it is of a confiderable height,,
makes in a lharp angle; and appears to be quite flat at the-
top.
In fleering along the fliore to the fouthward of the Gape;
at the diftance of two or three miles, our foundings were
from twenty to thirty fathom, having a chain of rocks between
us and the fliore, which appeared at different heights-
above the water.
At noon, Cape Table bore N. 20 E. diftant about four
leagues, andafmall ifland, which was the fouthermoft land:
in fight, bore S. 70 W. at the diftance of about three miles.-
ifland.of This ifland, which the natives call T e a h o w -r a y , I named the
Portland. # '
I s l a n d o f P o r t l a n d * from its very great refemblance to
Portland in the Englifli Channel: it lies about a mile from
a point on the main; but there appears to be a ridge oft
rocks, extending nearly, if not quite, from one to the other.-
N. 57 E. two miles from the fouth point of Portland, lies a-
funken rock, upon which the fea breaks with great violence.
We paffed between this rock and the land, having from-
feventeen to twenty fathom.
In failing along the fliore, we faw the natives affembled-
in great numbers as well upon Portland Ifland as the main:
we could alfo diftinguifti feveral fpots of ground that were
cultivated; fome feemed to be frefli turned up, and lay in
furrows like ploughed land, and fome had plants Upon them
in different ftages of their growth. We faw alfo in two
places, high rails upon the ridges of hills, like what we had
feen upon the peninfula at the north eaft head of Poverty
bay: as they were ranged in lines only, and not fo as to en-
5 clofe
clofe an area, we could not guefs at their ufe, and therefore ^69.
fuppofed they might be the work of fuperftition.
About noon another canoe appeared, in which were four
men *, fhe came within about a quarter o f a mile of us, where
-the people on board feemed to perform divers ceremonies:
one of them who was in the bow, fometimes feemed to alk
;and to offer peace, and fometimes to threaten war, by bran-
difhing a weapon that he held in his hand: fometimes alfo
lie danced, and fometimes he fung. Tupia talked much to
him, but could not perfuade him to come to the fliip.
Between one and two o’ clock we difcovered land to the
weftward of Pordand, extending to the fouthward as far as
we could fee ; and as the fliip was hauling round the fouth
end of the ifland, fhe fuddenly fell into flioal water and
broken ground : we bad indeed always feven fathom or
more, hut the foundings were never twice the fame, jumping
at once from feven fathom to eleven; in a fliort time,
however, we got clear of all danger, and had again deep
water under us.
■ At this time the ifland lay within a mile of us, making in
white cliffs, and a long fpit of low land running from it towards
the main. On the -fides o f thefe cliffs fat vaft numbers
o f people, looking at -us with a fixed attention, and it is probable
that they perceived fome appearance of huiry and
confufion on board, and fome irregularity in the working
o f the fliip, while we were getting clear o f the fliallow water
and broken ground, from which they might infer that we
were alarmed or in diftrefs; we thought that they wiflied to
take advantage of our fituation, for five canoes were put off
with the utmoft expedition, full of men, and well armed:
they came fo near, and fliewed fo hoftile a difpofition by
ihouting, brandifliing their lances, and ufing threatening
Q_q 2 geftures,