NOV. 1769 COAST OF NEW ZEALAND 195 
accessible, besides which they were guarded by a deep 
fosse and a high paling within it, so that probably these 
people are much given to war. In the evening many towns 
were in sight, larger than those seen at noon, and always 
situated like them on the tops of cliffs and fenced in the 
same manner: under them, upon the beach, were many very 
large canoes, some hundreds I may safely say, some of 
which either had or appeared to have awnings, but not one 
of them put off. From all these circumstances we judged 
the country to be much better peopled hereabouts, and 
inhabited by richer people than we had before seen; maybe 
it was the residence of some of their princes. As far as we 
have yet gone along the coast from Cape Turnagain to this 
place, the people have acknowledged only one chief, Teratu. 
If his dominion is really so large, he may have princes or 
governors under him capable of drawing together a vast 
number of people, for he himself is always said to live far 
inland. 
3rd. The continent appeared this morning barren and 
rocky, but many islands were in sight, chiefly with such 
towns upon them as we saw yesterday. Two canoes put 
off from one, but could not overtake us. At breakfast a 
cluster of islands and rocks was in sight, which made an 
uncommon appearance from the number of perpendicular 
rocks or needles (as the seamen call them) which were in 
sight at once. These we called the Court of Aldermen, in 
respect to that worthy body, and entertained ourselves some 
time with giving names to each of them from their resemb- 
lance, thick and squab or lank and tall, to some one or 
other of those respectable citizens. Soon after this we 
passed an island, on which were houses built on the steep 
sides of rocks, inaccessible, I had almost said, to birds. How 
their inhabitants could ever have got to them surpassed my 
comprehension. At present, however, we saw none, so that 
these situations are probably no more than places to retire 
to in case of danger, which are totally evacuated in peace- 
able times. 
5th. Two Indians were seen fighting about some quarrel 
