JAMES COOK 73 
ern capes of a continent the French discoveries were only 
insignificant islands. Baffled in the attempt to get far- 
ther south, Cook kept an easterly course, a little to 
the south or a little to the north of the parallel of 6o° as 
the ice permitted or required, until he reached the me- 
ridian of 147 ° E. on March 16th. It was now time to 
seek lower latitudes but not yet time for rest. The Reso- 
lution tried to make the east side of Van Diemen's Land, 
where Cook wished to ascertain if the coast were con- 
tinuous with that of New South Wales; but the westerly 
winds were too strong, so he bore up for New Zealand, 
which was reached in Dusky Bay on March 26th, after 
1 22 days at sea. The Adventure was found in Queen 
Charlotte Sound, now known as Cook Strait. She had 
made a straight course without discovering any land. 
Between the routes of Tasman, Marion, Kerguelen, 
Cook, and Furneaux there was no room for a temperate 
continent in the Southern Ocean ; the voyage of the 
Resolution had swept one-third of the great circumpolar 
continent within the ice-barrier south of 6o° S. ; and im- 
planted in Cook a lively distrust in the existence of the 
other segments. 
Until June 7th Cook employed himself in surveying 
the coast of New Zealand. The naturalists landed, made 
collections and had various adventures with the natives, 
after an interview with whom on one occasion the worthy 
Sparrmann stalked forth from the bush wearing only his 
spectacles, all the rest had been involuntarily sacrificed to 
the inquisitiveness and acquisitiveness of the Maoris. 
From New Zealand both ships pursued their researches 
for three months between 41 0 S. and 46° S., to the 
eastward as far as 135 0 W., nearly half way across 
the Pacific. Many on board expected daily to fall in 
