138 Transactio?is. 



December, 1769, at the very moment when Cook was exploring 

 the North Island. A further curious fact of this is that, though 

 both voyagers were within a few miles of each other, neither 

 knew of the other's proximity. On the 9th December, Cook 

 discovered and named Doubtless Bay, and then sailed north ; 

 a week later, De Surville entered it, at which time Cook was 

 just opposite, sailing down the west coast of the island, which 

 here is but a few miles across. Unlike the great commander, 

 De Surville was actuated by no spirit of scientific discoverv, 

 but by the greed of gain and the search for gold. Representing 

 two or three speculators, he had sailed from Pondicherry, the 

 capital of the French possessions in India, with the view of 

 discovering a wonderful island which report said not only 

 abounded in gold and other riches, but was populated by a curious 

 colony of Jews. For six months he traversed the Pacific on this 

 unsuccessful quest, until brought up by the New Zealand shores 

 at Doubtless Bay, into which he sailed, giving it the very British- 

 sounding name of Lauriston Bay, for which there is an interesting 

 explanation. John Law, of Lauriston, near Edinburgh, is quite 

 an historical person of an eventful career, which for present 

 purposes may be summarised by saying that he emigrated to 

 France in 1705, where he initiated various wild schemes and 

 speculations, finally becoming Comptroller-General of Finance 

 to Louis XV. His nephew was James Francis Law, with whom 

 this story deals, and who was appointed Governor of Pondi- 

 cherry, the capital of the French settlements in India. This 

 gentleman seems to have been imbued with his uncle's speculative 

 spirit, for it was he and a friend, M. Chevallier, who chiefly 

 fitted out the " St. Jean Baptiste " on her wild-goose chase 

 over the Pacific. Thus, in compliment, this bay was named 

 Lauriston, and a creek within it Chevallier. There is always 

 some value, and interest certainly, in recording the origin of 

 place-names, so apt are they to become forgotten, and then 

 unknown. Within this beautiful far-north bay now lies the 

 Pacific Cable station, its small staff of workers alone representing 

 the once teeming Native population which long ago preceded 

 to Te Reinga those who now are so quickly following them. 

 De Surville's stay extended over three weeks, and during this 

 time he received the utmost hospitality from the Natives — a 

 hospitality which he shamefully requited. Many of his sailors 

 suffered from severe illness, and it was necessary to bring them 

 ashore ; here the Natives showed every kindness to the invalids, 

 assisting them with food and shelter. Their miserable state 

 was rendered still more so by a furious storm of hurricane 

 force, of which Cook makes mention ; in it one of the boats 

 was missing, which strict inquiry and search failed to recover. 



