Haszaed. — Foot-tracks of Captain Cook. 27 



alleged site of Cook's observatory, and I have computed its 

 latitude and longitude from the meridian and perpendicular 

 distances derived through the series of triangles from the stone 

 pillar on Mount Eden, Auckland. The position of the latter 

 was very accurately determined in connection with the Ame- 

 rican Transit of Venus Expedition of 1882, and the longitude 

 tested by time-signals with Sydney. I make Station = lat. 

 36° 49' 37" S., long. 175° 44' 49" E. New, the mean of Cap- 

 tain Cook's observations is 36° 48' 5|" S., 175° 56' E., and, 

 applying them to the chart, it would place his position about a 

 mile and three-quarters to the north and considerably to the 

 east of Station ; whereas if we accept the position at the 

 mouth of Oyster Eiver it would show a still greater discrepancy 

 in the latitude. In regard to the longitude, it could not be 

 expected that, with the appliances then used, it would be de- 

 termined very accurately ; in fact, it is a wonder that he got it 

 to come in as close as he did. 



From these considerations I am inclined to think the site 

 above Shakespeare Cliff must have been the scene of his 

 operations ; and, indeed, from the position of his anchorage, 

 it seems to me to be the most natural place an observer 

 would select for such a purpose. It is situated on a little 

 rounded knoll on the end of a plateau about 250 ft. above 

 sea-level, with a clear view of the horizon, and is easily 

 reached by a track leading up a gully from a small sandy bay 

 immediately to the south of the cliff. Enclosed are a couple 

 of photographs of this place, but, as the only plates I could get 

 were of a brand I had never tried before, the exposure has 

 not been too successful. I also enclose a map of the locality 

 for reference to the places mentioned. (Plates I. -III.) 



The following data, kindly supplied by Dr. C. Coleridge 

 Farr, of the New Zealand Magnetic Observatory, of his re- 

 cently determined variation of the compass at Mercury Bay,, 

 are of considerable interest, as showing the large increase 

 of variation in the past hundred and thirty years — that is, 

 if Captain Cook's reading of 11° 9' E. can be accepted as 

 reliable ; but Cook himself mentions about ironsand being 

 plentiful on the beach, and it is possible his observation may 

 have been vitiated from that cause. The mean of several 

 readings in various parts of the district with the little 

 needle attached to my theodolite, and after allowing for con- 

 vergence, is about 13° 45' ; but I would not put it forth as of 

 any weight compared with the sensitive instruments used by 

 Dr. Farr. 



