208 NORTH CAPE. [PART II. 



latitude 35 35' S., and in 172 57' E. longitude. The 

 entrance to it is narrow, but is two fathoms deep at 

 low water. The tide rises ten feet. I must how- 

 ever observe that, in standing out of the harbour in 

 our schooner during the ebb-tide, I observed some 

 rocks in the entrance, about six feet under water, 

 and vessels must therefore ascertain the exact chan- 

 nel previously to entering. 



The harbour, or the estuary, as it should more 

 properly be called, is from six to eight square miles 

 in extent, and sends several branches in different 

 directions for some distance inland, all of which are 

 navigable for boats at high water. Good land is 

 situated at the head of these channels ; one of these 

 is only a little distance from Ka-po-wairua on the 

 northern coast. The best anchorage in the harbour 

 is within the inner northern head, where there is 

 five fathoms water. 



At the North Cape I found the remains of large 

 native pas, or fortifications, on the crest of the hills. 

 It will, perhaps, be recollected that, in the account 

 of Captain King's ' Voyage to New Zealand,' it is 

 stated that he found this part of the island well in- 

 habited. Since that time all the inhabitants have 

 been reduced to slavery in their last wars. For a 

 long time the whole district was laid under " tapu," 

 that is, forbidden to be inhabited, and the remains 

 of the tribes went to other places. It was only a 

 short time before my arrival in Parenga-renga, in 

 the beginning of 1841, that about sixty natives of the 



