^ 



12 COOK S FIRST VOYAGE MARCH, 



from N. E. by N. to N. W. by W., and seemed to be 

 about five leagues distant from the main ; the eastern- 

 most ledge of rocks bore S. S. E. distant one league 

 and ah half, and the northermost N. E. -- E. distant 

 about three leagues. This land is high and barren, 

 with nothing upon it but a few straggling shrubs, 

 for not a single tree was to be seen ; it was however 

 remarkable for a number of white patches, which I 

 took to be marble, as they reflected the sun's rays 

 very strongly : other patches of the same kind we 

 had observed in different parts of this country, par- 

 ticularly in Mercury Bay : we continued to stand 

 close upon a wind to the westward, and at sunset 

 the southermost point of land bore N. 38 E. distant 

 four leagues, and the westernmost land in sight bore 

 N. 2 E. The point which lies in latitude 47 19' S. 

 longitude 192 12' W. I named South Cape ; the 

 westermost land was a small island, lying off the 

 point of the main. 



Supposing South Cape to be the southern ex- 

 tremity of this country, as indeed it proved to be, I 

 hoped to get round it by the w r est, for a large hollow 

 swell from the south-west, ever since our last hard 

 gale, had convinced me that there was no land in 

 that direction. 



In the night we had a hard gale at N. E. by N. 

 and N. which brought us under our courses, but 

 about eight in the morning it became moderate ; 

 and at noon, veering to the west, we tacked and 

 stood to the northward, having no land in sight* 

 Our latitude, by observation, was 47 33' S., our 

 longitude, west from the South Cape, 59'. We 

 stood away N. N. E. close upon a wind, without 

 seeing any land, till two the next morning, when we 

 discovered an island bearing N. W. by N. distant 

 about five leagues : about two hours afterwards we 

 saw land a-head, upon which we tacked and stood 

 off till six, when we stood in to take a nearer view 

 of it : at eleven we were within three leagues of it, 



