Cook describes the country as a narrow slip of low sand, backed by well-wooded hills, rising in the interior into high mountains, on which patches of snow could be seen.  That it was fairly populated was evident from the smoke rising through the trees, more especially in the valleys leading into Poverty Bay as he named it, because they were unable to get anything but a small quantity of wood.

At Hawke’s Bay, whilst trading was going on, a large war canoe came up, and the occupants received some presents.  Cook noticed a man wearing a cloak of some black skin, and offered a piece of red cloth for it.  The owner took it off, but would not part with it till he received the cloth, and then his boat was pushed off from the ship, and Cook lost both his cloak and his cloth.  Soon after a determined attempt was made to steal Tupia’s boy, Tayeto, who was handing some things down to a canoe; the Maoris had to be fired on, and in the consequent confusion the boy jumped into the water and swam to the ship.  The point off which this occurred was named Cape Kidnapper.  As there was no appearance of a harbour, Cook altered his course to the north at Cape Turnagain, 40 degrees 34 minutes South, to see if he could not do better in the other direction.

All the canoes seen along this coast were well made, far in advance of anything they had seen before, and the grotesque carving and ornamental work was admirably executed.  The dresses warn were usually two cloak-shaped garments, one warn round the shoulders, the other round the loins, and were made of a substance like hemp, some being very fine.  Banks had purchased something like them at Rio de Janeiro, for which he gave thirty-six shillings, thinking it cheap, but these were as fine, if not finer, in texture.  Dogs, which were used as food, and rats were the only quadrupeds seen.  Whilst Banks and Solander were collecting, they discovered a large natural arch, which the former describes as the most magnificent surprise he had ever met with.  It was sketched by Parkinson, and is engraved in the History.  Cook also made a pen-and-ink sketch of it, which is in the British Museum.

Cook’s washing stolen.

On 31st October they rounded East Cape, and following the coast, which trended more to the west, they saw a great number of villages and patches of cultivation, some of the last looking as if freshly ploughed.  The whole aspect of the country was changing for the better, but the inhabitants did not seem more peaceably inclined.  Five canoes came out to the ship fully armed, and apparently bent on mischief.  Cook was very busy, and did not want them on board, so to keep them off ordered a musket to be fired over them; but as it only caused them to stop for a moment, a round shot was sent over them, and they hurriedly turned tail.  The place was given the name Cape Runaway.  White Island was named, but it must have been quiescent as there is no note of its being a volcano.  As