130 T ransactions. 



Art. XXlll.—Cnpaw Bumonf D'Urvilles Visit to ToJoga Bay in 1827. 



Translated from the French* by S. Percy Smith, F.R.G.8. 

 [Bend before the Attckland Institute. \Hth Nnvemher. 1908.] 



In the Transactions for 1907 appeared an account of Captain D'Urville's 

 visit to Tasman's Bay, ending up with the passage of the " Astrolabe " 

 through the French Pass, on the 28th January, 1827. We will now foUow 

 the corvette on her passage through Cook Strait and up the east coast of 

 the North Island, New Zealand, to Tologa Bay. 



A few notes have been added in brackets [ ] where necessary to identify 

 places, names, &c. The voyage up the coast offers nothing remarkable, 

 and therefore will be summarised in a few sentences. 



After safely traversing the French Pass on the 28th January, D'Urville 

 quickly passed through the narrow part of the Strait, with the intention of 

 anchoring in Cloudy Bay, in order to decide whether a suspected passage did 

 or did not exist between Cloudy. Bay and Queen Charlotte Sound. But, the 

 wind failing, the ship was brought up ofi Tory Channel, of which D'Urville 

 says, " At its base [of a hill he describes] a little bay seemed to communicate 

 by a narrow channel, obstructed by rocks, with the Bay of Queen Charlotte, 

 of which the calm waters were perfectly distinguishable from the mast- 

 head. Some great fires were also seen on the left-hand point of the opening. 

 Anxious to see us, it is probable the savages employed that means to attract 

 our attention." [These Natives were probably some of the original Rangi- 

 tane Tribe, of those parts, for the occupation by Ngati-Toa and Te Ati- 

 Awa Tribes had not as yet eventuated.] 



From there D'Urville attempted in vain the following day to enter 

 Cloudy Bay, but was driven by a strong wind on the 29th down to Cape 

 Campbell, from whence he steered for the North Island, intending to explore 

 the coast west of Cape Palliser. " To my great regret the wind did not 

 permit us to gain a deep bay between Cape Poli-wero [the native name as 

 given to D'Urville, but now called Sinclair Head, and situated a few miles 

 west of the entrance to Port Nicholson] and Cape Toura-kira [Turaki-rae, 

 six miles S.E. of Port Nicholson], where are found some isles near the shore, 

 which should offer excellent anchorages."' [These isles are Barrett's Reef, 

 at the entrance of Port Nicholson — Maori name, Te Ure-a-Kr.pe.] Had his 

 efforts not been thus frustrated D'Urville would doubtless have been the first 

 to discover and describe the harbour of the capital of New Zealand. The 

 corvette continued her course, and entered and anchored on the west side 

 of Palliser Bay, where some canoes came off to her, and two Maoris — one 

 named Tehi-Noui [? Te Hi-nui], a chief, and his companion, Koki-Hore 

 [? Kiore] — insisted on remaining on board, being eventually carried on to 

 Tologa Bay. D'Urville saw Lake Wai-rarapa, which he conjectured to be 

 an arm of the sea. The name (as he gives it, Wai - Te rapa) he applied 

 to the range to the west — i.e., Tararua. 



* Voyage de la corvette L' Astrolabe, execute par ordic dii Roi. pendant les 

 annees 182G. 1827. 1828. 1829, sons le comniaiidement de .Al. J. Duniont D'Urville 

 (Paris. 1833). vol. ii, )>. (iS et seq. 



