in 75 fathoms water, with 150 fathoms of Cable out. Even this would not have saved us had not the Tide, which first set S. by E., by meeting with the Island changed its direction to S.E., and carried us past the first point. When the Ship was brought up she was about 2 Cables' Lengths of the Rocks and in the Strength of the Stream, which set S.E. at least 4 or 5 Knotts or miles per Hour. A little before 12 o'Clock the Tide abated, and we began to heave; by 3 the Anchor was at the bows, and having a light breeze at N.W., we made sail over for the Eastern Shore; but having the tide against us we made but little way. The wind afterwards freshned, and Came to N. and N.E., with which and the tide of Ebb we were in a short time hurried thro' the narrowest part of the Strait, and then stood away for the Southermost land we had in sight, which bore from us S. by W. Over this land appeared a Prodigious high Mountain,[1] the Summit of which was covered with snow. The narrowest part of the Strait we have passed lies between Cape Koamaroo on Tovy-poinammu and Cape Teerawhitte on Aeheinomouwe; the distance from the one to the other I judged to be between 4 and 5 Leagues. And notwithstanding the strength of the Tides, now that is known, there is no great danger in passing it; in the doing of which I am of opinion that the N.E. Shore is the safest to keep upon, for upon that side there appeared no danger, whereas on the other shore there are not only the Islands and Rocks lying off Cape Koamaroo, for I discover'd from the hill from which I had the Second View of the Strait, a Reef of Rocks stretching from these Islands 6 or 7 Miles to the Southward, and lay about 2 or 3 Miles off from the Shore. I shall not pretend here to assign limits to the length of this Strait; a view of the Chart will best illustrate that. About N. 9 Leagues from Cape Teerawhitte, under the same shore, is a high remarkable Island, that may be distinctly seen from Queen Charlotte Sound, from which it lies N.E. by E. ¼ E., distant 6 or 7 Leagues. I have called it Entry Isle, and was taken Notice of when we first past it on Sunday 14th of last Month. On the East side of Cape Teerawhitte the Land Trends away S.E. by E. about 8 Leagues, where it ends in a point, and is the Southermost land on Aeheinomouwe, which I have named Cape Pallisser in Honour of my worthy friend Capt. Pallisser.[2] Lat. 41° 34′, Long. 183° 58′, it bore from us this day at Noon S. 79° E., distant 12 or 13 Leagues, being then in the Latitude of 41° 27′ S.; at the same
- ↑ The Kairoura Range, the summit of which is 9500 ft. high.
- ↑ Captain Palliser, afterwards Sir Hugh, was Captain of the Eagle, Cook's first ship in the Royal Navy. He discovered Cook’s talents, and was his warm friend throughout his life. Between Cape Teerawhitte and Cape Palliser is the entrance to Port Nicholson, wherein is situated Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. This entrance is, however, narrow, and Cook was never near enough to the land to discover it.
