218 CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF NEW ZEALAND CH. ix 



made in ridges not unlike the South Sea Islands (between 

 the tropics) ; the tops of these were bare, but in the valleys 

 was plenty of wood. 



23rd. As we have now been four days upon nearly the 

 same part of the coast without seeing any signs of inhabit- 

 ants, I think there is no doubt that this part at least is 

 without inhabitants. 



In the evening the land l inclined a good deal to the west. 

 We on board were now of two parties, one who wished that 

 the land in sight might, the other that it might not, be a 

 continent. I myself have always been most firm in the 

 former wish, though sorry I am to say that my party is so 

 small, that I firmly believe that there are none more heartily 

 of it than myself and one poor midshipman : the rest begin 

 to sigh for roast beef. 



4:th March. A large smoke was seen, and proved to be an 

 immense fire on the side of a hill which we supposed to 

 have been set on fire by the natives, for though this is the 

 only sign of people we have seen, yet I think it must be 

 an indisputable proof that there are inhabitants, though 

 probably very thinly scattered over the face of this very 

 large country. 



9th. The land 2 appeared barren, and seemed to end in a 

 point to which the hills gradually declined, much to the regret 

 of us continent-mongers, who could not help thinking that 

 the great swell from the south-west and the broken ground 

 without it were a pretty sure mark of some remarkable cape 

 being here. By noon we were near the land, which was 

 uncommonly barren ; the few flat places we saw seemingly 

 produced little or nothing, and the rest was all bare rocks 

 which were amazingly full of large veins, and patches of 

 some mineral that shone as if it had been polished, or 

 rather looked as if the rocks were really paved with glass ; 

 what it was I could not at all guess, but it was certainly 

 some mineral, and seemed to argue by its immense abundance 

 a country abounding in minerals, where, if one may judge 



1 Near Otago Harbour. 

 2 Stewart Island, which was supposed to be a peninsula. 





