Smith. — Exploration of Tasman Bay. 429 



Without doubt, the Natives are not anxious to quit the food- 

 producing coasts to wander in these sad and sterile deserts. 



In spite of the bad weather, and the fatigue I experienced 

 in traversing a country so broken, after having attained the 

 summit of a hillock that faces towards the S.W. of the 

 anchorage I was well recompensed for my trouble by a com- 

 plete view of Tasman Bay, and by the discovery of a second 

 basin situated beneath my feet, and which appeared to offer 

 an anchorage not less secure than Astrolabe Bay, from which 

 it is separated by an isthmus of 500 or 600 fathoms in width 

 only [Torrent Bay]. Three fine torrents discharge themselves 

 there, and a pretty margin to some level land occupied part 

 of its extent, and in the south a corner completely closed to the 

 swell from outside announced a harbour most commodious for 

 small vessels. Besides, an immense forest of fine trees, of 

 which many would be useful in construction, occupied the 

 depths of the ravines down which the streams came. I at 

 once promised myself to explore and make a plan of this fine 

 basin, to ascertain if it really possessed the advantages that it 

 promised. 



My eyes, running successively over all the details of Tasman 

 Bay, could, from the prominent station where I was placed, 

 assure me that in all the southern part it offered no chance 

 of any bay suitable as shelter to vessels. I recognised the 

 clump of Podocarpus near the village to the west, named by 

 the Natives " Mai-Tehai." [This seems very like " Maitai," 

 the name of the river falling into Nelson Haven, near the town 

 of that name ; but it is shown on the chart as lying to the 

 west of Astrolabe Bay, about the Motueka Valley.] Beyond, 

 the opening discovered by M. Dudemaine, clearly seen in the 

 form of a river-bed well inland ; at the same time, its brown 

 waters communicated their colour to that of the bay as far 

 as four or five miles from the coast. [This, no doubt, was 

 Motueka River.] To the S.E. an island (Isle Pepin), situated 

 on the coast, announced a channel, and perhaps shelter, between 

 the island and the main. More to the north, and on the coast 

 directly opposite to that on which I found myself, a deep 

 opening made me already suspect a communication between 

 Tasman Bay and that of Admiralty. [The French Pass.] 

 Lastly, to the N.E. the land is composed of abrupt mountains, 

 which terminate in the cape called " Stephens " by Cook. 



After having wandered nearly eight hours across these wild 

 slopes, and having entirely gone round the crest of the mountain, 

 I descended to the coast through the wood above the watering- 

 place, and returned on board about 4 p.m., enriched with many 

 new specimens of plants and birds. Among the latter were 



