Smith. — Exploration of Tasman Bay. 419 



days previously, it would have made an end of the corvette. 

 Forced by the tempest to become embayed by degrees on the 

 coast, she would have finished by being cast ashore and broken 

 into a thousand bits. 



11th January. — But, to my great satisfaction, at 7.30 a.m. 

 the fury of the tempest decreased, and at 10 a.m. the wind 

 became manageable, and varied to the W., which enabled us 

 to steer N.N.E. At 12.30 p.m. we saw the land with the saw- 

 tooth peaks about forty miles distant, which proved that, not- 

 withstanding the wind and sea, we had gained to windward 

 of the land during the night. At 4.30 p.m. we were on the 

 parallel, and about twelve miles distant from the ravine or 

 depression remarked the preceding evening ; and at 7 p.m. 

 Cape Foidwind bore N.E. i N. at twelve or thirteen miles distant, 

 appearing as a low point which projected far to the west, and 

 terminating in a flat hillock ; beyond that point the coast de- 

 creases much in height, although the interior chain of mountains 

 remained quite imposing. 



We continued to run six or eight miles until 11.15 p.m., 

 when we tacked to port, having there found 65 fathoms, sand 

 and mud, and being at the time five or six miles off Cape Foul- 

 wind. The sky, fine up to that moment, became again obscured, 

 and rain fell almost continuously until daylight, with a slight 

 N.N.W. breeze. 



12th January. — At 4 a.m. Cape Foulwind showed itself bear- 

 ing E.N.E., and our course was laid so as to pass it within 

 three or four miles. When we got near we recognised that the 

 point which distinguishes it was low land covered with beau- 

 tiful forest, and projecting two or three leagues seaward. At 

 a mile and a half off its northern extremity are situated three 

 bare rocks, isolated, and about from 60 ft. to 80 ft. high. We 

 gave these the name of " Trois-Clochers " (the Three Steeples) 

 [so called still], from the appearance they present from a certain 

 distance. As soon as we found ourselves opposite to them, 

 at 9.22 a.m., and at least a league off, the corvette sailed through 

 muddy water, with scattered trunks of trees, leaves, and debris 

 of vegetation. This continued until 4 p.m., over the space of 

 about nineteen miles, without our being able to perceive the 

 limits of this discoloured water. As to the cause, there is reason 

 to believe that it was due to the presence of a river or strong 

 torrent which falls into the sea to the north of the valley which 

 forms Cape Foulwind. We saw a depression in lat. 41° 16' S. 

 which might well be the mouth of that river, and from whence 

 came the numerous debris of vegetation and the muddy waters 

 carried out by the current in consequence of the late rains. 

 [This was, of course, the Buller Eiver.] 



