a fadden we were carried toward a parcel of broken iilarids, or rather'rocks, which
lie at the entrance of the ftraits; * the two largeft we named the Two Brothers.
Being alarmed, we ran to the poop of the ihip, where we heard a great noife, and
faw the appearance of breakers, upon which we drove bodily aftern j neared
the ifland.s quickly; let go our anchor; and, before we had veered away
35° fathoms of cable; we found ourfelves amongft thefe fuppofed breakers, which
proved to be a ftrong tide that fet through the ftraits; it made a very great ripling,
eipecially near the iflands, where the water, running in heaps, bears, and whirlpools,
made a very great noife in its paflage. Thefe ftraits run nearly in a north and
fouth diredtion.
On the 7th, we weighed anchor, and proceeded along the ftraits with the tide
and a fine breeze, which fet us through with great rapidity. At the entrance into
the ftraits, from the north, there is a fmall ifland on the north fide, near a point of
land on the main ; this ifland we called Entry Ifland, The land on the fouth fide is
very high, and but thinly cloathed, though we faw here and there a fine level.
At one part, in particular, the land was very low, and feemed to form an entrance.
We faw a very long row of high trees, like thefe at Hawke’s bay, and at Ooa-
haowragee, or the river Thames; and it is probably the mouth of fome river.
We called this biy Cloudy Bay; oppofite to which, on the other fide of the
ftraits, is a cape or point of land which the natives of Cannibal Bay call Teera-
witte. Here is alfo a great number of hills, and one much higher than the
reft, having its fuinmit covered with fnow, which we faw- at a great diftance. The
north coaft tended away eaftward; and the fouth to the S. S. W. which we followed
till the night clofed in upon us ; then the wind chopped; about; and, being
willing to fatisfy ourfelves whether the north part of this land was an ifland, we re*
lolved to fail as far north as Cape Turnagain. Thefe ftraits, which we named
Cook’s Straits, are about thirteen miles long, and fourteen broad. The two eafter-
moft points of which we called Cape Campbell and Cape Pallifer. The flood tide
comes ftrong in from the fouthward, and, on the days of new and full moon, it is
high water about eleven o'clock.
On the 8th, we failed .along the fouthern coaft of this ifland : the weather was
hazy, but we diicovered many cxtenfive lawns, with fome high hills, the tops of
which
which were moftly flat. In the afternoon, three canoes came off to us; two of
them were large andhandfome- The natives in them,,who feemed to have been cut
and mangled in fever»! par ts of their bodies, behaved peaceably'; and; byaftdngfor
mails; we concluded they had heard- of us from the people- of fome other ¡Hands'-
where we had been. They were much like the natives-of Mataroowkaow, a village
in Tolaga Bay; being very neatly dreft, having their hair knotted on the crown
of their heads in two Bunches, one of which wis Tamooir, or plaited; and the
wreath'bound found them the fame. In one of the canoes there was an old man'
who came on board; attended by one of the natives r he-was tataowed all over the
face, with a ftreakof red paint over his nofe, and acrofs his cheek. His brow, as-
well-as. the brows of many others who were with him, was much furrowed; and
the' hair of his ' head and beard quite filvered with age. He had on a ffaxen
garment;- ornamented with a beautiful wrought border,- and- under it a petticoat,,
made of a fort of cloth Which they call Aooree WaSw: on his ears hung a hunch'
of teeth, and an ear-ring of Poonamoo. or green Hone. For an Indian, his Ipeechr
was foft, and his Voice fo low that we could hardly hear it. By his drefs; carriage,
and the re%eft paid to him, we fuppofed him to be a gerfon of diftindtion amonvff
them. i . , 6 .
We ohferved a great difference Betwixt the inHaSBanW on this fide of the land,,
north.of Cooks Straits,, and thofe of the fouth. The former are tali, well-limbed;
clever fellows ;, have a deal of. tataow, and .plenty of good cloaths;.. but the latter
are a fet of poor wretches, who, though ftrong,, are (tinted in their growth, and'
feem to want the-fpirit or fprightlinefs of the northern Indians. Eew-of them are-
tataowed,. or have their hair oiled, and tied up;, and'their canoes are but mean-
On the. 9 * . at noon, latitude fouth, we Had a good view o f Cape Turnagain-..’
We hauled.in our windtq S. W. to make the land on the other fide of Cook’s Straits/
The -coaft we failed: along was lower, and had many white clayey, and chalky
d-iffs-upon.it. We paffed two points-oflaad to. which we gave the nines of-Caflle
Point and.-FIatPoinU
On