S14 cook's first voyage OCT. 



CHAP. III. 



THE RANCxE FROM TOLAGA TO MERCURY BAY, WITH AN 

 ACCOUNT OF MANY INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED BOTH ON 

 BOARD AND ASHORE: A DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS 

 EXHIBITED BY THE COUNTRY, AND OF THE HEPPAHS, OR 

 FORTIFIED VILLAGES OF THE INHABITANTS. 



On Monday, the 30th, about half an hour after one 

 o'clock, having made sail again to the northward for 

 about ten hours, with a light breeze, 1 hauled round 

 a small island which lay east one mile from the north- 

 east point of the land : from this place I found the 

 land trend away N. W. by W. and W. N. W. as far as 

 I could see, this point being the easternmost land on 

 the whole coast. I gave it the name of East Cape, 

 and I called the island that lies off it East Island ; 

 it is of a small circuit, high and round, and appears 

 white and barren : the cape is high, with white cliffs, 

 and lies in latitude 37° 4^2' 30"' S. and longitude 

 181° W. The land from Tolaga Bay to East Cape 

 is of a moderate but unequal height, forming several 

 small bays, in which are sandy beaches : of the inland 

 country we could not see much, the weather being 

 cloudy and hazy. The soundings were from twenty to 

 thirty fathom, at the distance of about a league from 

 the shore. After we had rounded the Cape, we saw 

 in our run along the shore a great number of villages, 

 and much cultivated land ; the country in general 

 appeared more fertile than before, and was low near 

 the sea, but hilly within. At six in the evening, 

 being four leagues to the westward of East Cape, 

 we passed a bay which was first discovered by Lieu- 

 tenant Hicks, and which, therefore, I called Hicks's 

 Bay. At eight in the evening, being eight leagues to 

 the westward of the Cape, and three or four miles 



