were discovered by Tasman, and called the Three Kings.  The principal island lies in latitude 34 deg. 12’ S. longitude 187 deg. 48’ W. and distant fourteen or fifteen leagues from North Cape, in the direction of W. 14 N. At midnight, we tacked and stood to the N.E. till six the next morning, which was Christmas day, when we tacked and stood to the southward.  At noon, the Three Kings bore E. 8 N. distant five or six leagues.  The variation this morning by the azimuth was 11 deg. 25’ E.

On the 26th, we stood to the southward close upon a wind; and at noon, were in latitude 35 deg. 10’ S longitude 188 deg. 20’ W. the Three Kings bearing N. 26 W. distant twenty-two leagues.  In this situation we had no land in sight; and yet, by observation, we were in the latitude of the Bay of Islands; and by my reckoning but twenty leagues to the westward of North Cape:  From whence it appears, that the northern part of this island is very narrow; for otherwise we must have seen some part of the west side of it.  We stood to the southward till twelve at night, and then tacked and stood to the northward.

At four o’clock in the morning, the wind freshened, and at nine blew a storm; so that we were obliged to bring the ship to under her mainsail.  Our course made good between noon this day and yesterday was S.S.W. 1/2 W. distance eleven miles.  The Three Kings bore N. 27 E. distant seventy-seven miles.  The gale continued all this day, and till two the next morning, when it fell, and began to veer to the southward and S.W. where it fixed about four, when we made sail and steered east in for the land, under the fore-sail and main-sail; but the wind then rising, and by eight o’clock being increased to a hurricane, with a prodigious sea, we were obliged to take in the main-sail; we then wore the ship, and brought her to with her head to the north west.  At noon the gale was somewhat abated, but we had still heavy squalls.  Our course made good this day, was north, a little easterly, twenty-nine miles; latitude by account 34 deg. 50’ S. longitude 188 deg. 27’ W.; the Three Kings bore N. 41 E. distant fifty-two miles.  At seven o’clock in the evening, the wind being at S.W. and S.W. by W. with hard squalls, we wore and lay on the other tack; and at six the next morning spread more sail.  Our course and distance since yesterday was E. by N. twenty-nine miles.  In the afternoon, we had hard squalls at S.W.; and at eight in the evening, wore and stood to the N.W. till five the next morning; and then wore and stood to the S.E.  At six, we saw the land bearing N.E. distant about six leagues, which we judged to be Cape Maria Van Diemen, and which corresponded with the account that had been given of it by the Indians.  At midnight we wore and stood to the S.E.  And on the next day at noon, Cape Maria Van Diemen bore N.E. by N. distant about five leagues.  At seven in the evening, we tacked and stood to the westward, with a moderate breeze at S.W. by S. and S.W.