Chap. II. VOYAGE— FIRST SIGHT OF NEW ZEALAND. 21 
from tip to tip of the wings. Once on the deck, they 
cannot escape, as they have great difficulty in first 
rising on the wing. Some of us stored the white 
feathers, supposing from Nayti's account that they 
would be highly valuable in New Zealand; others 
made tobacco-pouches of the web-feet, or pipe-stems of 
the wing-bones ; the naturalist made preparations of 
skeletons and skins, to keep his hand in; and the 
sailors prepared the carcases in a dish called " sea-pie." 
The land which we first sighted proved to be the 
western coast of the Middle Island, not far south of 
Cape Farewell. A remarkable white fissure in the 
mountains forms a distinguishing land-mark at a great 
distance. 
Having fairly entered the middle of Cook's Strait by 
sunset, we hove to with a fresh N. W. breeze till day- 
light. Once or twice during the night we found 
soundings in about fifty fathoms. This was conjec- 
tured to be near the mouth of Blind Bay. 
In the morning of the 17th we proceeded to the 
eastward. When I came on deck we had land in 
sight on both bows. Bearing away for the southern 
land, we soon made out Stephens Island, and passed 
within five or six miles of it. As we ran along the 
coast, D'Urville's Island, the Admiralty Islands, Point 
Lambert, and Point Jackson were successively re- 
cognized from Cook's chart. The high rugged land 
of the Middle Island, which had at a distance appeared 
barren and sprinkled with rocks, proved on closer in- 
spection to be clothed with the most luxuriant forest. 
As we neared Point Jackson, the breeze died away, 
and we remained for a time becalmed in the entrance 
of Queen Charlotte's Sound. Cape Koumaru * (Koe- 
* It becomes necessary to mention that the Maori or New Zea- 
land language, as reduced to writing by the missionaries, gives a 
