Smith. — Captain Dumont D'Urville's Visit in 1827. 429 



voice we gave the name of our ship to the fine channel through which we 

 had passed in all its extent, and explored with so much success. If one 

 wishes to estimate it, starting from the island Tiri-Tiri-Matangi, where our 

 discoveries really commenced, the Astrolabe Channel has not less than 

 fifty miles in length ; but by making its origin at Eangui-Toto, where, re- 

 stricted between the two shores that approach one another very nearly, 

 it offers at all times the best anchorages in the world for ships of all dimen- 

 sions, and from there it presents a development of nearly thirty miles of 

 coast, without including the Wai-Tamata branch, to which we were unable 

 to assign the real extent. It is undoubted that one day these channels 

 will plav a most important role in navigation, when the Colony of New 

 South Wales shall take on the development it is susceptible of. The work 

 of the " Astrolabe," until then disdained, will revive in the memory of man 

 like that of M. D'Entrecasteaux, which already interests an entire colony 

 established on the places which that navigator found originally a complete 

 desert [no doubt the author refers to Hobart]. H 



At a mile outside where the Astrolabe Channel joins Shouraki Bay is 

 an isolated rock, altogether bare, wild, and inhabited by myriads of cor- 

 morants. The people have given it the name of Tara-Kai (from tara, 

 cormorant ; and kai, to eat) [Tarakihi]. We made a " station " close to that 

 rock, and afterwards pursued our route to the south, with a light breeze 

 from the S.W., changing to the south at 6 p.m., which constrained us to 

 anchor in 6 fathoms at less than half a league from the coast of Ware-Kawa 

 [Wharekawa], and near a somewhat remarkable cape named Wai-Mango 

 [probably near Orere]. 



28th February. — The night was fine and tranquil. The following day, 

 at 6 a.m., the " Astrolabe " was under sail, and I endeavoured to approach 

 the mouth of the Wai-Kahourounga [Kauaeranga, at the Thames]. But 

 the breeze, which at first was E.S.E., varied successively to the S.E. and 

 even S.S.W. : this caused me to renounce the project of advancing towards 

 the head of the bay, and at 8.30 a.m. I again anchored in 8 fathoms, mud, 

 at about two miles from the shore, and at seven miles and a half from the 

 mouth of the river [Thames]. From the anchorage we could distinguish 

 clearly the two points of the entrance ; but the head of the bay is no doubt 

 nothing but an alluvial plain, and is so low that it was only from the tops 

 that the immense forests of Podocarpus that cover a large part could be 

 seen. As soon as the corvette had anchored, I sent M. Lottin to the ad- 

 jacent coast to make a geographical " station," and at the same time to 

 leave our excellent pilot Makara. Although belonging to the slave class, 

 or kouki [kuki, derived from the English cook], this young fellow had, 

 by his conduct on board, merited our esteem. In parting with him, I 

 gratified him with a packet of powder, a large axe, and some other trifles, 

 which made him the happiest of men. He spared neither pressing nor 

 promises to determine me to return and see his chiefs, who were about 

 returning from Waikato with immense provision of hogs, potatoes, and 

 kumaras. Much as I should have desired to prolong my sojourn in these 

 interesting parts, the time pressed, and the " Astrolabe " had to visit a 

 number of other places besides New Zealand. 



In consequence, as soon as the b vat returned, we got under sail, and 

 directed our course towards the Shouraki coast [east coast], to follow it 

 closely. It is much more elevated, and, moreover, more abrupt, than that 

 of Ware-Kawa, and the ground is not suitable for cultivation. We may 

 remark here that the place where M. Lottin had debarked he found a shore 



