I regretted much that we did not hear of this ihip whii’e
we were in the SoPnd ; as, by means of Omai, we might
have had full and correct information about her from eye-
witneiîès. For Taweiharooa’s account was only from what
he had been told, and therefore liable to many miftakes'.
I have not the leaft doubt, however, that his teftimony may
fo far be depended upon, as to induce us to believe, that
a fhip really had been at Teerawitte prior to my arrival in
the Endeavour, asrit eorrefponds with what I had formerly
beard. For in the. latter end of 1775, the fécond time I
vifited New Zealand, during my Iaft voyage,, when we were
continually making inquiries about the Adventure, after
our reparation, fome of the natives informed us of a ihip’s
having been in a port on the coaft o f Teerawitte; But, at
that time, we thought we muft have nxifunderftood them, ,
and took no notice of the intelligence.
The arrival of this unknown ihip has been marked by the
New Zealanders with more caufes of remembrance, than the
unhappy one juft mentioned. Taweiharooa told us, their
country was indebted to her peqple for the prefent o f an -
animal, whieli they left behind them. But as he had not
feen it himfelf, no fort of judgment could be formed from
his defcription, of what kind it was.
We had another piece of intelligence from him, more.’
correftly given,, though not confirmed by our own obferva-
tions, that there are fnakesand lizards thereof an enormous-
fize. He defcribed the latter as being eight feet in length,
and as'big round as a man’s body. He faid, they iometimes-
feize and devour men ; that they burrow in the ground %
and that they are killed by making fires at the mouths of-
the holes. We could not be miftaken as to.the animal ; for,
4 with.
with his own hand, he drew ,a very good reprefeptarion o f a im*
lizard on a piece of paper,; as al-fo of a jfpake, in order to
Ihew what h,e meant,
Though much has‘been-faid, in the Narratives of my Two
former Voyages, about this country and its inhabitants,
Mr. Anderfon’s Remarks, as ferving .either to confirm or to
corr.e<a our former accounts, may not be fuperfluous. He
had been three.tim.es with me in Quqep Charlotte’s Sound,
during .my laft Voyage; and, after this fourth v$t, -yvhat
he thought proper to record, may be co.nfidered as the re-
fult of fufficient obfervation. The Reader will find it ip the
next Chapter; and I have nothing farther to add, before I
-quit New Zealand, but to give fome account of the aftro-
nomical and nautical obfervations made during our ftay
there.
The Longitude of the Obfervatory in Ship
Cove, by a mean of 103 fets of obfervations,
each fet confifting of fix or more
obferved diftances, was - - _ 174' 25' 1 cn Eaft.
By the time-keeper, at Greenwich rate, it
was - - - 17^ 26 jo
By ditto, at the Cape rate, it was - 174 56 12
Variation of the compafs, being the mean
of fix needles, obferved on board the fhip 12 40 o Eaft.
By the fame needles on ihore, it was ■ - 13 53 o
The dip of the South end, obferved on
ihore, was - - - - - 63 42 o
By a mean of the refults of eleven days obfervations, the
time-keeper was too flow for mean time, on February 22 at
noon, by. 11* 50' 3,7",396; and ihe was found to be lofing
on