VOYAGE OF THE ENDEAVOUR 407 



fresh water, and fresh water means land. And he had 

 seen seaweed and a seal South of Tahiti. He confesses 

 that his " reasons were weak," and no doubt Cook told 

 him so. But he eagerly agreed with Cook that another 

 voyage was well worth while. As "a voyage of mere 

 curiosity," it should be promoted by the Royal Society, 

 helped by His Majesty. 



"Cook," writes Mr. Reeves, "found New Zealand New Zealand 



a line on the map. and he left it an archipelago." He ls , ag od 



place for a 



had proved that it was not part of a golden continent ; colony, 

 but he had proved also that it consisted of two large 

 islands, fertile, beautiful, fascinating, in all ways fit to 

 be a home of Englishmen. As one reads the journals, 

 one becomes aware that the writers are not merely men 

 of science eager to know ; they are also British patriots, 

 thinking of colonization. Banks notes that the coast 

 abounds in good harbours. " The Bay of Islands and 

 Queen Charlotte Sound are as. good as any which seamen 

 need desire to come into." The soil is generally good. 

 " The outer ridge of land which is open to the sea is (as 

 I believe is the case in most countries) generally barren, 

 especially to the Southward, but, within that, the hills 

 are covered with thick woods quite to the top, and every 

 valley produces a rivulet of water." The South and West 

 sides seemed the most barren, but on the North and the 

 East were seen very large tracts of land which " promised 

 great returns to the people who would take the trouble 

 of cultivating them." From the botanist's point of view 

 the vegetation v seemed monotonous; but "the entire 

 novelty of the greater part of what we found recompensed 

 us as natural historians for the want of variety." The rich- 

 ness of the soil was shown by gigantic trees, the straightest, 

 cleanest, and largest Banks had ever seen. The timber 

 appeared " fit for any kind of buildings, and thick enough 

 to make masts for vessels of any size." Banks also has 

 high praise for " the plant which serves them instead 

 of hemp or flax," and believes that it would be " a great 

 acquisition to England." 



In fact, New Zealand is an excellent place for a British 



