Duncan. — Folloioing the Tracks of Captain Cook. 35 



cove, and the necessities required were procurable. The 

 natives were friendly, and the civilian scientists of the expe- 

 dition were enabled to carry out their researches in this new 

 pasture without molestation. Timing my visit to coincide 

 with the month of the year it was visited by Cook, I was able 

 to see the place much in the same garb as he did. I was 

 also able to see the stream where the water was obtained in 

 the same season of the year, and thereby to judge what diffi- 

 culties there might have been. 



In addition to the Journal of Cook, the writings of Sir 

 Joseph Banks and the sketches and descriptions of Mr. Sydney 

 Parkinson, available to us, help to make this spot the more 

 interesting. I spent two days at Cook's Cove and on Sporing 

 Island adjoining, and had with me manuscript copies of all 

 the writings that I knew of relating to these places, so that 

 I should not miss anything. 



The " Endeavour " was not anchored in the cove, but in 

 the roadstead of Tolaga Bay. The ship's log gives her position 

 thus : " Anchored in 11 fathoms ; fine sandy bottom ; the N. 

 point of the bay N. by B. and the S. point S.E., and the 

 watering-place, which was in a small cove a little within the 

 S. point of the bay, distant 1 mile." 



The flat land at the head of the cove is now all very much 

 overgrown with dense clumps of manuka and toetoe, and there 

 is not a soul living there. At the time of Cook's visit the 

 place was occupied by a good number of natives, and was 

 under cultivation, for Cook speaks of the " little plantations 

 of the natives lying dispersed up and down the country." 

 Sir Joseph Banks, in his Journal, says, " Their plantations 

 were now hardly finished, but so well was the ground tilled 

 that I have seldom seen land better broken up. In them were 

 planted sweet potatoes, cocos, and a plant of the cucumber 

 kind, as we judged from the seed-leaves which just appeared 

 above ground. The first of these were planted in small hills, 

 some in rows, others in quincunx, all laid most regularly in 

 line. The cocos were planted on flat land, and had not yet 

 appeared above ground. The cucumbers were set in small 

 hollows or ditches, much as in England. These plantations 

 varied in size from 1 to 10 acres each. Each distinct patch 

 was fenced in, generally with reeds placed close one by 

 another so that a mouse could scarcely creep through." The 

 plants seen by Banks would no doubt be the kumara, taro, 

 and the gourd or calabash. 



The main creek of water runs out on to the beach at the 

 extreme head of the cove, and is a very small stream in 

 October. As mentioned, I examined this place on the identi- 

 cal anniversary of Cook's visit, and found that the water was 

 brackish for fully 50 yards from the beach. At low water the 



