1770. which are between fourteen and fifteen leagues diftant from
■ — ' . each other, in the direction of W. by N. and E. by S. the
Saturday 31. Qjore forms a large deep bay, the bottom of which we could
fcarcely fee while we were failing in a ftrait line from one
Cape to the other; it is, however, probably o f lefs depth than
it appeared to be, for as we found the water lhallower here,
than at the fame diftance from any other part of the coaft,
there is reafon to fuppofe, that the land at the bottom which
lies next the fea is low, and therefore not eafily to be diftin-
guilhed from it. I have for this reafon called it B l in d Ba y ,
and am o f opinion that it is the fame which was called Murderer’s
Bay by Tafman.
Such particulars of this country and its inhabitants, with
their manners and cuftoms, as could be learnt while we were
circumnavigating the coaft, lhall now be related.
CHAP.
HOUND THE WORLD. 3*
C H A P . VIII.
A general Account o f N ew Zealand: its firjl Difcovery,
Situation, Extent, Climate, and ProduEUons.
NEW Z E A L AND was firft difcovered by Abel Janfen 177^
Tafman, a Dutch navigator, whofe name has been l—--i-l.
feveral times mentioned in this narrative, on the ,13th of
December, in the year 1642. He traverfed the eaftern coaft
from latitude 34° to 43, and entered the ftreight which divides
the two iflands, and in the chart is called C ook’s
S t r e ig h t ; but being attacked by the natives foon after he
came to an anchor, in the place to which he gave the name
of Murderer’s Bay, he never went on fhore. He gave the
country the name of S t a a t e n L a n d , or the land of the States,
in honour of the States-General, and it is now generally
diftinguifhed in our maps and charts by the name of N ew
Z e a l a n d . As the whole of this country, except that part of
the coaft which was feen by Tafman from on board his fhip,
has from his time, to the voyage o f the Endeavour, remained
altogether unknown, it has by many been fuppofed to be
part of a fouthern continent. It is however now known to
confift of two large iflands, divided from each other by a
ftreight or pafiage, which is about four or five leagues
broad.
Thefe iflands are fituated between the latitudes o f 34” and
48° S. and between the longitudes of 181° and 194° W. which
is now determined with uncommon exadtnefs, from innumerable
obfervations of the fun and moon, and one of the
tranfits