170 CAPTAIN COOK 



Zealand. He discovered several little islands, as 

 the Isle of Pines, to the southward of New Cale- 

 donia, remarkable for the quantity and quality 

 of its trees; Botany Island, with innumerable 

 plants; and Norfolk Island, uninhabited, but 

 rich in pine trees, hemp and cabbage-palms, 

 which furnished the travellers with an excellent 

 meal. 



At last, on October i8th, the Resolution 

 anchored once more in Queen Charlotte Sound, 

 in Vessel Harbour, Cook's usual anchorage. 



Cook's first act was to go to the foot of the 

 tree where he had buried the bottle for Captain 

 Furneaux. He did not find it, and concluded 

 that the Adventure had been to the harbour after 

 the departure of the Resolution. 



Cook visited the gardens which he had estab- 

 lished, and found with regret that the New 

 Zealanders had completely neglected them. In 

 spite of this a few vegetables continued to thrive 

 upon this wonderfully fertile soil. 



It was some days before the Englishmen saw 

 any natives, but when at last they arrived and 

 recognised Captain Cook, they manifested ex- 

 treme joy. They embraced their old acquaint- 

 ances and rubbed their noses against theirs, fol- 

 lowing the custom of the country, and began to 

 leap and dance with mad extravagance. 



Cook learnt from them that the Adventure 



