520 HOWIE-TERIE. 
and one wide. Nothing can be more accurate than their description 
of the coast, as rising into hills and tumuli, with the mountains 
behind. These elevations are of most singular forms, and rise out 
of the level Tehama in an abrupt manner. During the former part 
of the day the country was a little wooded, but afterwards it had a 
most barren appearance. At sun-set the pilot could distinguish 
none of his marks by which to enter the harbour ; we were therefore 
obliged to make the best choice among evils, and work all night, 
as there was no possibility of anchoring. By his watch Captain 
Court regulated the tacks, and we were assisted by a fine moon, and 
rendered more safe by the calmness of the night. We stood off and 
on, till twelve, when we lay to, lest we should reach a part of the 
channel where the pilot said there were sunken rocks. Providen- 
tially it was moderate all night, and we met with no accident. In 
a channel unknown to us, only three miles wide, of which by night 
the pilot was equally ignorant, with rocks and shoals around us, as 
far as we could see, our situation was certainly alarming. We all 
felt it so, and Captain Court never quitted the deck till we lay to, 
and then only for short intervals. All the crew were kept on deck 
the whole night 
March 15.— We had, as usual, the morningbreeze from the land, 
but towards nine it fell calm. We were among the shoals and rocks, 
of which the pilot was last night afraid. We passed by a sunken 
one as bad as that of yesterday : on others, there was sufficient 
water, and close to them sixteen fathom, hard sand ; the next cast, 
no bottom, seventy fathom. At twelve we were in lat. 20° 1 1' 2S" ; 
we could see Howie-terie, and by our bearings ascertained that it 
was in 2,0^* 10' 38''. Arekea was also in sight, which is erroneously 
