396 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Mr. Banks and Dr. Solauder explored the neighbourhood, and 

 were rewarded by the discovery of many more plaiits new to 

 science. In the course of their rambles they came upon what 

 is described as a very extraordinary natural curiosity. " It 

 was a rock, perforated through its whole substance so as to 

 form a rude but stupendous arch or cavern, opening directly 

 to the sea. This aperture was seventy-five feet long, twenty- 

 seven broad, and five-and-forty high, commanding a view of 

 the bay and of the hills on the other side, wliich were seen 

 through it, and, opening at once upon the view, produced an 

 effect far superior to any of the contrivances of art." 



There are three small streams of water here, one of which 

 finds its way to the sea through the natural arch above 

 described. The arch (called by the natives " Te Kotore o te 

 Whenua") pierces the ridge the extremity of which forms the 

 westei-n head of the cove, and is about 400yds. from high- 

 water mark within the cove. The measurements given by 

 Cook do not quite correspond with the present dimensions. 

 The present length is 55ft., the breadth at the narrowest part 

 24ft. 6in., and the height at the lowest part 23ft. The length 

 has probably been reduced by the falhng-away of the cliff at 

 the outer end, at which part also the measurements of the 

 height and breadth given by Cook may have been estimated. 



About 30yds. from high-water mark, among some bushes 

 about 20ft. up the side of the same hill as that in which the 

 arch occurs, is what is known as "Cook's well." This is a 

 small hole, about lOin. in diameter and about 1ft. deep, 

 excavated in the soft rock where a tiny rill trickles down 

 from a small spring a little higher up the hill. This could not 

 have been used in any way for watering the ship, but was 

 probably hollowed out for amusement by some of the boys in 

 the ship's company. That it is not a natural cavity, but that 

 it was made on the occasion of Cook's visit, seems to be 

 satisfactorily shown by the name which the natives have 

 given to it — viz., " Te Wai Keri a Tepaea," or Tepaea's Well ; 

 Tepaea (in which form they have preserved the name of the 

 Tahitian Tupaea) having been thought by them to have been 

 the name of Captain Cook. Various letters have been cut 

 near the little w^ell, but most of them have become very indis- 

 tinct from the scaling-off of the surface of the rock. It is 

 impossible to assign any date to these, which may all of them 

 be nmch more modern than 1769. 



Maori tradition states that Hinematioro, who was then a 

 young girl, was pointed out to Cook as a young lady of high 

 rank, and that he presented her with beads and other orna- 

 ments. Hinematioro was much looked up to in her time by 

 all the tribes along this part of the coast, and her name was 

 known formerly as far north as the Bay of Islands as that of 



