Norfolk island.

The natives were described as robust and well made, “and not in the least addicted to pilfering, which is more than can be said of any other nation in this sea.”  The only tame animals they had were large fowls with very bright plumage.  The country was said to consist of rocky hills, and the trees identical with those seen in New South Wales.  Leaving a sow and boar behind, in hopes of their being allowed to breed, and marking a tree with the name of the ship and the date, they left for the Isle of Pines, where they arrived on the 19th.  Here they were in very dangerous waters, and Cook says the safety of the ship was owing to the splendid way in which the watch was kept, and the brisk manner in which she was handled by the crew.  Forster noted “innumerable columnar forms of a considerable height which we distinguished by the help of our glasses”; he put them very proudly down as of basaltic formation, and afforded considerable amusement to Cook when he was able to prove they were only trees of the Pine family; in fact, some were afterwards cut down on Botany Island and used for spars.  They were unable to effect a landing on the Isle of Pines owing to the rocky nature of the shore, but by some unknown means Mr. Hodges painted a view of the interior of the island, published under that title in Cook’s Voyages.  Norfolk Island was discovered on 10th October, and a landing was effected, but no sign of inhabitants was seen, though a welcome supply of fish, birds, and cabbage palm was obtained.  The vegetation bore a resemblance to that of New Zealand.

On 17th October Mount Egmont was sighted, and anchoring in Queen Charlotte’s Sound an immediate search was made for a bottle containing letters which had been left for the Adventure.  It was not to be found, nor was there anything to show by whom it had been taken, but the next day they saw where an observatory had been set up, and trees cut down with axes, and so came to the conclusion their consort had been there.  The natives, who were at first very shy, but when they recognised Cook “went jumping and skipping about like madmen,” informed them that the Adventure came in soon after they had left, and remained two or three weeks.  A story also was told that a ship had been lost on the north side of the straits shortly before Cook arrived, and some of the people having had their clothes stolen by the natives, fired on them, but when their ammunition was exhausted were all killed.  This story, evidently a distorted account of what happened to some of the Adventure’s crew, was disbelieved by Cook, who thought there had been some misunderstanding.  Cook, from fresh observations, found that he had placed the South Island on his chart some 40 minutes too far to the east, and had made the distance between Queen Charlotte’s Sound and Cape Pallisser 10 minutes nearer to each other than they should have been.  In this connection he speaks in the highest terms of the desire of Mr. Wales to have everything as accurate as possible.