24 QUEEN CHARLOTTE'S SOUND. [PART i. 



they came alongside the vessel, they lashed their 

 canoe to the main-chain, and jumping on deck with 

 the greatest confidence, shook hands with us, and 

 then squatted down. They sold us some fish and 

 Swedish turnips for a little tobacco, and left us in 

 the evening, with a promise to come back next 

 morning. At seven o'clock we anchored at the 

 entrance of Ship Cove, as the wind fell calm, and 

 a strong ebb-tide was against us : we hoisted the 

 New Zealand flag, and saluted it with eight guns. 



The following morning the ship was warped 

 deeper into Ship Cove, and moored to a tree. The 

 scene which presented itself was very beautiful ; the 

 cove being as smooth as a lake, and surrounded by 

 an amphitheatre of hills, which were clothed with 

 primeval forest, and enlivened by the song of numer- 

 ous birds. But, with the exception of these, we 

 seemed to be the only living beings. 



We remained in Ship Cove until the 31st of 

 August; and I will here give a description of this 

 part of the island, the result of daily excursions, 

 which were extended as far as the dense virgin forest 

 would allow me to penetrate. 



Ship Cove opens in a semicircle towards Queen 

 Charlotte's Sound, and is formed by two branches of 

 the network of mountains of which this part of the 

 island -consists. In looking from our anchorage 

 towards Cook's Straits, there appeared in the fore- 

 ground Kapiti, or Entry Island : its shape is that 

 of an obtuse cone. The horizon beyond it was 

 formed by two chains of mountains, situated in the 



