1777- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 197 



CHAP. VII. 



THE PASSAGE FROM VAN DIEMEN's LAND TO NEW ZEALAND. 



EMPLOYMENTS IN QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S SOUND. TRANSAC- 

 TIONS WITH THE NATIVES THERE. INTELLIGENCE ABOUT 



THE MASSACRE OF THE ADVENTURE'S BOAT'S CREW. AC- 

 COUNT OF THE CHIEF WHO HEADED THE PARTY ON THAT 

 OCCASION, OF THE TWO YOUNG MEN WHO EMBARK TO AT- 

 TEND OMAI. VARIOUS REMARKS ON THE INHABITANTS. ' 



ASTRONOMICAL AND NAUTICAL OBSERVATIONS. 



J\t eight o'clock in the morning of the 30th of 

 January, a light breeze springing up at W., we 

 weighed anchor, and put to sea from Adventure Bay. 

 Soon after, the wind veered to the southward, and 

 increased to a perfect storm. Its fury abated in the 

 evening, when it veered to the E. and N. E. 



This gale was indicated by the barometer, for the 

 wind no sooner began to blow, than the mercury 

 in the tube began to fall. Another remarkable 

 thing attended the coming on of this wind, which 

 was very faint at first. It brought with it a degree 

 of heat that was almost intolerable. The mercury 

 in the thermometer rose, as it were instantaneously, 

 from about 70 to near 90. This heat was of so 

 short a continuance, that it seemed to be wafted 

 away before the breeze that brought it; so that some 

 on board did not perceive it. 



We pursued our course to the eastward, without 

 meeting with any thing worthy of note, till the night 

 between the 6th and 7th of February, when a marine 

 belonging to the Discovery fell over board, and was 

 never seen afterward. This was the second mis- 

 fortune of the kind that had happened to Captain 

 Clerke since he left England. 



On the 10th, at four in the afternoon, we dis- 



o 3 



