A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions [New Zealand Chapters Only].

James Clark Ross

First published by J. Murray in 1847

Digitised and made available online by the University of Auckland Libraries and Learning Services.

Epub © 2013 Early New Zealand Books Collection

ISBN 978-1-927279-69-4

[TITLE PAGES]

[Pages i-iii not found]

THE COLLISION, TO WINDWARD OF THE CHAIN OF BERGS, 13TH MARCH, 1842.
J.E. Davis, Del. T. Picken, lith. Day & Haghe, lithrs. to the Queen.

A
VOYAGE
OF
DISCOVERY AND RESEARCH
IN THE
SOUTHERN AND ANTARCTIC REGIONS,

DURING THE YEARS 1839-43.

BY
CAPTAIN SIR JAMES CLARK ROSS , R. N. KNT., D.C.L. OXON., F.R.S., ETC.

WITH PLATES, MAPS, AND WOODCUTS.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.

LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET.
1847.

LONDON:

SPOTTISWOODE AND SHAW,

New-street-Square.

[CONTENTS]

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME.

CHAPTER I.

Refitting the Ships. – Fossil Trees of Derwent Valley. – Geological Remarks. – Tassman's Peninsula. – Eagle Hawk Neck. – Tesselated Pavement. – Entrecasteaux Channel. – Timber on the Banks of the Huon. – Advantages of Port Arthur. – Mean Level of the Ocean. – Launceston. – Prepare for Sea. – Deviation of the Compass............Page 1

CHAPTER II.

Departure from Hobarton. – Anchor in Port Jackson. – Term-day Observations. – Heavy Fall of Rain. – Appearance and State of Sydney – Paramatta Observatory – Magnetic Observations at Garden Island. – Sail from Port Jackson. – Change of Temperature. – Coast Current. – Falling Stars. – Temperature of the Ocean. – Coral Bank. – Cape Maria Van Diemen. – Bay of Islands. – Anchor in the Kawa Kawa. – The American Corvette, Yorktown. – Position of Observatory..............33

CHAPTER III.

Suggestions relative to Vaccination. – Communicate with Captain Aulic. – Hourly Observations, – Visits of Awara and Pomare. – Dissatisfaction of the New Zealanders. – Influence of the Missionaries. – Climate. – Meteorological Abstracts..............65

CHAPTER IV.

Aspect of the Country. – Visit to the Missionary Station of Waimati. – Falls of the Keri Keri. – Kaudi Gum. – Heki's Pah. – Heki's Feast. – Waimati. – Fishing Party to Lake Mapere. – Ascent of Puki Nui – Lakes at Taiami. – Hot Springs of Tuakino. – Return to the Erebus. – Visit from Captain L'Eveque of the French Corvette, Heroine__Capture of the French Whaler, Jean Bart, by the Inhabitants of" Chatham Island. – Necessity for increased Naval Force in these Seas. – Tidal Observations..............Page 91

CHAPTER V.

Outrage at the Bay of Islands. – Sail from New Zealand. – Proposed Whaling Station at Auckland Islands. – Dangerous Reefs. – North-west Reef and Dangers off Chatham Island. – Nimrod Islands. – Penguins. – Appearance of Land. – Circle of Mean Temperature of the Southern Ocean. – First Iceberg seen – Focus of Greater Intensity. – Enter the Pack. – Animalcule. – Magnetic Observations on the Ice. – Beset in the Pack. – Meteorological Abstract for December................125

CHAPTER VI.

Cross the Antarctic Circle. – Driven back to the Northward. – The Great Penguin – Seals. – Fish. – Animal Life – Beset in the Pack. – Gale in the Pack. – Perilous Situation of the Ships. – Damages sustained during the Gale. – Repair Damages. – Closely beset in the Pack. – Meteorological Abstract for January............55

CHAPTER VII.

Breadth of the Pack. – Refraction. – Heavy Swell in the Pack. – The clear Sea in sight. – Gain the open Water. Proceed to the Southward. – Becalmed. – Large Iceberg seen last Year – Severe Temperature. – Stopped by the great Icy Barrier. – Furthest South Latitude, 78 deg. 10'. –

Exploration of the Barrier. – Bear up for the Falkland Islands. – Strength of the Bay Ice. – Running to the Northward. – Aurora Australis. – Meteorological Abstract for February............Page 181

CHAPTER VIII.

Magnificent Range of Bergs. – Colour of the Sea. – Northeasterly Gale. – Recross the Antarctic Circle. – Collision with the Terror. – Loss of Bowsprit – The Stern-board. – The Escape. – Unusual Phenomenon. – Repair Damages. – Focus of Greater Intensity. – Circle of Mean Temperature of the Ocean. – Meteorological Abstract for March. – Current off Cape Horn. – Beauchene Island. – Anchor in Port Louis, East Falkland Island..............213

CHAPTER IX.

Land the Observatories. – Shooting Parties. – Account of a Wild Cattle Hunt. – The Ships hauled up to repair. – Arrival of Her Majesty's Ship Carysfort, with Provisions and Stores. – Refitment of the Ships. – Port William. – Removal of the Settlement from Port Louis to Port William – Botanical Notice – Grasses. – Balsam Bog. – Flowers. – Lichens. – Seaweeds. – Mosses. – Ferns. – Esculent Plants. – Tussock Grass of the Falkland Islands..............241

CHAPTER X.

Sail from Port Louis. – Bank discovered. – Depression of Temperature. – Cape Horn. – Anchor in St. Martin's Cove. – Natives of Hermite Island. – Its Botanical Productions. – Trees. – Alpine Plants. – Flowering Plants. – Plants common to Britain. – Mosses and Esculent Plants.............279

CHAPTER XI.

Natives of Furgia. – Weapons. – Birds. – Climate. – Meteorological Abstract for October. – Prevailing Winds – "Williwaws." – Tides. – Permanent Mark at the Mean Level of the Sea. – Sail from St. Martin's Cove. – Burwood Bank.

– Beauchene Island. – Anchor in Port Louis. – English Barque, Governor Halkett. – Her Majesty's Ship Philomel. – Trees from Hermite Island planted. – Result of Observations. – Tides. – Permanent Marks to indicate the Mean Level of the Ocean...............Page 303

CHAPTER XII.

Route determined. – Sail from Falkland Islands. – Circle of Mean Temperature of the Ocean. – Make the Pack. – Land discovered. – Danger Islets. – Whale Fishery. – Mount Percy. – Meteorological Abstract for December. – D'Urville Monument. – Mount Haddington. – Cockburn Island – Its Botany. – Admiralty Inlet. – Fixed Land Ice. – Clear the Main Pack. – Meteorological Abstract for January...............321

CHAPTER XIII.

Clear the Pack. – Cross the Line of No Variation. – Position of Magnetic Pole. – Enter Antarctic Circle – Meteorological Abstract for February. – Deep Soundings. – Between Bellinghausen and Weddell's Tracks reach Latitude 71 deg. 30' S. – Gale at Pack Edge. – Perilous Situation for several Days. – The great Comet. – Recross Antarctic Circle. – Search for Bouvet Island. – Various Accounts of its Position. – Last Iceberg seen. – Circle of Mean Temperature of the Southern Ocean. – Meteorological Abstract for March. – Anchor in Simon's Bay. – Touch at St. Helena and Ascension Islands. – No Soundings with four thousand six hundred Fathoms, the greatest Depth yet reached. – Arrive at Rio – Sail for England. – Cross the Line of No Dip. – Atmospheric Pressure in the Southern Hemisphere. – Arrive in England................355

LIST OF PLATES AND MAPS

IN

THE SECOND VOLUME.

The Collision

(Frontispiece. )

Cape Horn.

Chap. I.

Seal Hunting.

Chap. II.

Catching Great Penguins.

Chap. IV.

Pushing through the Pack.

Chap. VI.

A Gale in the Pack

p. 169

The Erebus passing through the Bergs

p. 220

Tussac Grass of Falkland Islands.

Chap. VIII.

Hunting Wild Cattle in the Falkland Islands.

Chap. IX.

Mount Kater, Hermite Island.

Chap. X.

Balsam-bog Plant.

Chap. XI.

Cockburn Island and Admiralty Inlet.

Chap. XII.

Deep Soundings.

Chap. XIII.

Louis Philippe Land (Map)

p. 329

Mount Haddington and Cape Gage

p. 387

South Polar Chart

(at the end. )

CHAPTER II.

Seal Hunting on the Pack Ice. Page 162.
Sketched by Dr. Hooker.

CHAPTER II.

Departure from Hobarton. – Anchor in Port Jackson. – Term-day Observations. – Heavy Fall of Rain. – Appearance and State of Sidney. – Paramatta Observatory. – Magnetic Observations at Garden Island. – Sail from Port Jackson. – Change of Temperature. – Coast Current. – Falling Stars. – Temperature of the Ocean. – Coral Bank. – Cape Maria Van Diemen. – Bay of Islands – Anchor in the Kawa Kawa. – The American Corvette, Yorktown. – Position of Observatory.

CHAPTER II.

1841. July 7 .

EARLY on the morning- of the 7th of July we weighed, and stood down the river; his Excellency Sir John Franklin, and many of our friends, came on board for the purpose of seeing us fairly off, and bidding us a long farewell. With a fresh northerly breeze we had soon passed the beautiful and placid scenery which each bank of the river presents to view; and here, as in many parts of the interior, the peaceful settlements and improving farms which are scattered profusely over the face of the country, in the highest state of cultivation, again recalled to our minds some of the richest and most beautiful scenery of our own country, and impressed us with a feeling, no doubt greatly influenced by the hospitality and affectionate friendship we had experienced from its inhabitants, that we were taking a final leave of our southern home, and perhaps should never again meet with many of those from whom we had experienced so much kindness. At 10 we hove to in Storm Bay, when Sir John Franklin and our friends took leave of us, giving and receiving three hearty cheers at parting. They returned to Hobarton in the government brig, and we pursued our course towards Cape Raoul. In the afternoon we passed the entrance of Port Arthur, one of the best harbours in Van Diemen's Land. It is situated

SOUNDINGS OFF CAPE HOWE.

1841.

between Cape Raoul and Cape Pillar; and, although a dense mist concealed these two remarkable capes from our view, we occasionally caught a glimpse of the lofty basaltic columns of Cape Pillar, which we passed at a few miles' distance, just before dark. The wind being fresh from the northward, we felt the effects of a heavy irregular sea as we stood to the eastward during the night, when we got from under the lee of the land.

July 8.

We tacked to the westward before daylight, but light variable winds and a heavy N. E. swell prevented our making any progress; so that, at noon Cape Pillar was still in sight, at a distance of eleven or twelve miles, bearing S. 58 deg. W., our latitude being 43 deg. 5', long. 148 deg. 21' E. Thick weather, with rain, the usual accompaniments of a northerly wind, prevailed during the day; but the swell, as it subsided, became more regular, and the wind veered to the westward in the evening. Cape pigeons, blue petrel, and the dusky and black-backed albatrosses were our companions. Many large patches of seaweed were passed through, and a few whales were seen during the day.

July 9. July 11.

The next morning the wind became more favourable, and before noon we had all studding-sails set. Our run to Port Jackson was unattended with any circumstance worthy of notice. At daylight, on the morning of the 11th, Cape Howe was seen bearing N. N. W.; and at 1 P.M. soundings were obtained in two hundred and ninety-two fathoms, on a bank of fine sand and greenish mud,

ARRIVE AT PORT JACKSON.

1841.

Cape Howe at the time bearing N. 29 deg. W. distant about seventeen miles: the temperature at that depth being 49 '7 deg.; that of the surface and of the air being 59 deg..

July 12.

On the following day, when in latitude 37 deg. 20' S. long. 151 deg. 36 E., we had no soundings with five hundred and fifty fathoms, the temperature of the sea at that depth being 46.2, whilst that of the surface was 60 deg.

July 14.

On the morning of the 14th we were off the extensive and celebrated opening called Botany Bay by Captain Cook, and arrived between the narrow heads of Port Jackson at noon. Here a pilot came off to us; and, the wind dying away to a perfect calm, we lowered our boats, and towed the ships up one of the most magnificent harbours in the world. A boat from the shore brought me a kind note of welcome from His Excellency Sir George Gipps, with the offer of every assistance in his power to promote our objects; and immediately that our ships were anchored between the government demesne and Garden Island, Commander Crozier and I went on shore to pay our respects to the governor, from whom we experienced the most cordial reception. I obtained permission from him to put up our observatories on Garden Island, a convenient and retired place, where we could uninterruptedly pursue our work. I should have preferred making our observations at Fort Macquarie, on the exact spot where Lieutenant Wilkes had obtained his, during the visit of the

TERM-DAY OBSERVATIONS.

1841. July.

United States' exploring expedition in 1839; 1 but at this time it was quite unfit for magnetic observations, from the number of iron guns and piles of cannon balls that were distributed about it, so that instruments could not be placed on any part of the fortifications without being subject to their vitiating influence.

As my chief object in coming here was to obtain a series of magnetometric observations in comparison with those made at the observatory at Hobarton, on the approaching term day of the 21st, with the view to ascertain how far simultaneous observations, at periods previously agreed upon, as well as on days of considerable perturbations, might be depended on for determining the difference of longitude between the two places of observation, we were obliged to work hard day and night to get the instruments fixed and adjusted in good time. By the untiring diligence of Commander Crozier, however, and of the officers of the Erebus and Terror, every thing was in perfect order and in readiness to begin several hours before the appointed time, and a complete and satisfactory series of experiments was made. During the day we were honoured by a visit from the governor, who inspected the ships and observatories, and expressed a warm interest in the objects of our undertaking. Nothing could exceed the kind atten-

TERM-DAY OBSERVATIONS.

1841. July.

tion and hospitality which were manifested by His Excellency and Lady Gipps to myself and the officers of the expedition during our stay at Sydney; and I have much pleasure also in acknowledging the civilities that were offered to us by the principal inhabitants of the colony, but which the necessity of unremitting labour at the observatories obliged us to decline. I had also the high gratification of meeting with some very old friends in Captain Philip Parker King, R. N., Mr. M'Leay, the late colonial-secretary, and his son Mr. W. S. M'Leay, who had been several years resident in the colony, and from whom I learnt many interesting particulars of the cruize of the American expedition, which had touched here on its return from the Antarctic Regions; but as the greatest secrecy had been prescribed to its commander by the government, I could, at that time, place but little dependence on what I heard, but which has since turned out to be perfectly true in the principal particulars.

Mr. M'Leay's house being situate very near to our ships, we had many opportunities of enjoying the kind hospitalities he so liberally and continually extended to our officers, and whose sentiments towards myself were those of almost paternal regard and solicitude, which the remembrance of having, in my younger days, assisted me in my scientific pursuits, may probably have in some degree tended to awaken.

In the beautiful grounds, consisting of above twenty acres, about Mr. M'Leay's house, and which

HEAVY FALL OF RAIN.

1841. July.

are laid out with the greatest taste, Dr. Hooker had an opportunity of examining many rare and curious plants, which had been collected together from various parts of the world, and naturalised by the care and skill of the proprietor and his sons, forming a botanic garden of great value, and, even now, of great interest; although at the most unfavourable period of the year, being in the depth of winter, and in the rainy season.

The quantity of rain which sometimes falls at this place is truly astonishing: during our stay of twenty-one days, it unfortunately happened for us, but happily for the country, that there were only four days on which no rain fell; and on two or three occasions it came down in perfect sheets of water, so that, on the afternoon of the 16th, during two hours and a half, more than three inches of rain fell into the rain gauge at Garden Island: and again on the 17th, between 7 A.M. and noon, nearly five inches were recorded. On mentioning these facts to Sir George Gipps, he told me that on one occasion twenty-three inches fell in the course of twenty-four hours, as measured by a rain gauge on the South Head, an amount far exceeding any thing I had ever before heard of, and equal to the quantity that falls during a whole year in some parts of Great Britain. It produced great destruction of property in its course to the ocean; and there are everywhere to be seen numerous evidences of these periodical deluges in the deeply-worn watercourses, in the soft sandstone of which the country is chiefly composed. I have since been

HEAVY FALL OF RAIN.

1841. July.

referred to an account of a fall of rain which greatly exceeds that which was recorded at South Head, or I should have had some difficulty in believing that some mistake had not been made in the register. It is stated by M. Arago, 2 that at Joyeuse, in the department of Ardeche, according to the register of M. Tardy de la Brossy, the maximum of rain in a single day, in the course of twenty-three years, was found to have occurred on the 9th August, 1807, and amounted to what then appeared the enormous quantity of 9.87 in.: but, on the 9th Oct., 1827, in the space of twenty-two hours only, there descended at the same place 31.17 inches of rain. 3

The greatest quantity which fell into our rain gauge in twenty-four hours was 8.52 inches between noon of the 16th and noon of the 17th of July; during the whole of which period the wind was light from the SS.W., and the mercury in the barometer so high as 30.38 inches: it fell to 30 inches when the rain ceased in the afternoon of the 17th.

But far more serious drawbacks to the prosperity of the colony are the occasional withering droughts, which destroy the vegetation in a most awful

APPEARANCE OF THE COLONY.

1841. July.

manner. Not more than three or four years before our visit, the colonists suffered severely from one of those visitations, and a famine of bread, and still more a scarcity of water, were dreaded. The four pound loaf was sold for two shillings and eightpence, and the Commanding officer of Engineers reported that there was not at one time in reality a larger quantity of water in the reservoir than was sufficient for seven days' consumption. The extreme sandiness of the soil, and total absence of springs are great disadvantages; but the measures which Sir George Gipps has adopted, of damming up the small watercourses when filled by the winter floods, will provide a supply for the whole summer season, and prevent the recurrence of so much distress in future. He told me, that, during the drought of 1838, a gentleman from the interior rode his horse forty miles without being able to give him a drink, and had eventually to pay half-a-crown, at an inn on the road, for less than a quart of water.

I regretted extremely that it was not in my power to see more of the present condition and resources of the colony: the constant attendance at the observatory, and the unfavourable weather, prevented my making any excursions into the country, or indeed seeing either the town or public buildings to advantage.

The first appearance of the colony impresses the mind with wonder and admiration; and it seems hardly possible to imagine that little more than fifty years have elapsed since a "howling wilder-

STATE OF THE COLONY.

1841. July.

ness" occupied the place on which this great metropolis of a future empire now stands. Its magnificent harbour, or rather series of harbours, so beautiful to the eye of the painter, so perfect to that of a sailor, – so easy of access and egress, and so perfectly capable of containing and protecting, by the erection of judiciously placed fortifications, any number of shipping, are advantages that more than compensate the natural defects of a barrenness of soil, and proportional deficiency of luxuriance in the vegetation of its immediate vicinity; whilst the princely mansions of the country gentlemen, which have been built on each side of the harbour, give evidence of the wealth and industry of the colonists. Just at the period of our visit, the colony was suffering under a severe commercial pressure, brought on by overtrading, and the want of labourers. Until very lately, the settlers had enjoyed the benefit of convict labour, but, since they had obtained their prayer to the Home Government that no more convicts should be sent into the colony, they have been obliged to pay their common labourers about thirty pounds a-year, in addition to very expensive rations. Accounts recently received, however, announce the gratifying intelligence that they have nearly recovered the shock, and that their commercial transactions are now proceeding more prosperously and on a more solid foundation. The monetary distress and confusion which had been produced by excessive speculation, and which had borne

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

1841. July.

heavily even on some of the more wealthy individuals, have been overcome by economy, industry, and perseverance in developing the resources of the country; and the great difficulties and embarrassments of that time have been succeeded by years of general prosperity and comparative abundance. Since then, also, to the Legislative Council cf New South Wales has been added a third class of persons, in the representatives of the people; a measure of very doubtful benefit to the colony, and considered by many to be the first great step towards its separation from the mother country. It now consists of three classes, – first, the official servants of her Majesty; 2nd., Gentlemen of independence, nominated by the Crown; and, 3rd., Representatives elected by the people. Three years only have yet elapsed since the first meeting of the Legislative Council 4 as enlarged by act of Parliament, for the government of the colony, and the admitted general success of the experiment cannot but be in a great measure ascribed to the commanding influence and abilities of the present Governor, Sir George Gipps, and to the firmness, acknowledged talents, and universal love and respect entertained by all classes towards Mr. M'Leay, the venerated Speaker of the Assembly; and we may hope that under such guidance and example, now that this mode of government may be considered as established, the people will show themselves fit for, and worthy of, the trust

RELIGIOUS STRIFE.

1841. July.

which has been confided to them, and will select as their representatives those only who will devote themselves to the duties required of them, and direct the best energies of their minds to elevating the commercial, social, and moral condition of the colony.

It is, however, the religious condition of the colonists which demands the most anxious attention of the government. With three acknowledged or established religions whose ministers are paid from the public purse, it requires a more than ordinary degree of prudence and wisdom in administering to each of the three sects – Romanists, Presbyterians, and Episcopalians – the monies in due proportions; and the great want of church accommodation for all classes, and of ordained pastors of the Church of England in particular, is the cause of thousands falling away into a most shocking state of irreligion and infidelity; and, unless liberal and efficient measures be adopted by both the Home and Colonial governments to extend the means of education and religious instruction, the consequences cannot fail to be most calamitous.

Here, as at Van Diemen's Land, the Governor, being a member of the Church of England, is complained of by those of that communion with being often obliged to give a more favourable decision to either of the other sects, in order to prevent the suspicion of an undue bias towards his own church; and the religious feuds are often carried so high between the Presbyterians and

PARAMATTA OBSERVATORY.

1841. July.

Episcopalians, that each party seems to do its utmost to prevent any advantage accruing to the other: thus every step towards improvement and extension of the one sect is strongly and bitterly resisted by its opponent, and these feelings of religious jealousy or rivalry have been sufficiently powerful to induce even good and pious men of various denominations of the Christian Church to oppose and withstand, and eventually frustrate, the endeavours of the benevolent and virtuous to supply sound religious instruction to many thousands of souls, because the good of the Church of England might be advanced by the measure. May we not hope that a period of calm reflection will eradicate these petty but pernicious feelings of rivalry, which tend only to retard and place a stumbling block in the way of those who are struggling forward in their Christian course?

The only excursion into the country which my engrossing duties admitted was a day's trip up the river to Paramatta, a distance of about fifteen miles. The Governor's official duties requiring his presence there, and being desirous to show me a little of the country, he kindly offered me a seat in his barge, which I gladly accepted, especially as I was very anxious to obtain a good comparison of our chronometers with the time of the observatory at Paramatta, whose longitude had been so well determined by Sir Thomas Brisbane, when he first established the observatory at his own expense; and also to make arrangements for measuring the dif-

PARAMATTA OBSERVATORY.

1841. July.

ference of meridians between it and Garden Island, by means of rockets, and thereby secure an accurate determination of the longitude of the latter place, for the convenience of merchant vessels sailing from the port. Although in the depth of winter, I was much struck with the richness and varied beauty of the scenery on both sides of the river. Landing at a wharf a short distance below the town, I walked directly up to the observatory, and was engaged there with Mr. Dunlop, whilst the Governor transacted the business which had called him to Paramatta, during which time we were fortunate in obtaining several good transits of stars; and having agreed upon a plan of co-operation with Mr. Dunlop, about the rocket experiments, and after partaking of some refreshment prepared for us at government-house, I returned to Sydney with His Excellency in his carriage; the drive was far less agreeable and interesting than the row up the river, especially on account of the heavy rains that had lately fallen, having rendered the roads in some places almost impassable for carriages, except by the powerful aid of four good horses. The roads generally in the colony are much inferior to those of Van Diemen's Land, owing chiefly to the want of proper materials, which they have to bring from a considerable distance, and at a very great expense. The principal roads were, however, undergoing very extensive repairs at this time, which contributed in no small degree to their present bad condition.

MAGNETIC OBSERVATIONS.

1841.

The following evening being favourable for our projected experiments, Mr. Smith was despatched to an intermediate station, called Bedlam, to set-off some rockets, as we considered it probable that we should see them more distinctly than if sent up at either of the extreme stations. The instant of each rocket's explosion was noted at both places, and, after several nights' observations, the results were brought into comparison, and found to differ only in tenths of a second; twenty-five were judged sufficient for the accurate determination. The mean difference of time obtained amounted to 55s.85, and, taking the longitude of the observatory at Paramatta at 10h 4m 6s.25, as given in the Third Part of the Philosophical Transactions for 1829, p. 16-29., would give for the longitude of the place of observation at Garden Island 151 deg. 15' 31".5 E.; and again applying the meridian distance between this place and the Ross Bank observatory, as given by the means of our chronometers, we find the longitude of the latter place from these data to be 147 deg. 23' 40".7E.

We found after a few trials that the rockets sent up at Garden Island could be seen perfectly well from the Paramatta observatory, which rendered the night excursions to Bedlam unnecessary.

Although the general magnetometrical observations were complete by the 28th July, the weather was so unfavourable that the absolute determinations could not be obtained until the 2d of August, which day was also devoted to making such com-

AT GARDEN ISLAND.

1841. July.

putations as were necessary; and before night abstracts of all the observations that had been made at Garden Island by the officers of the expedition were packed up and sent on board the Ruby, of London, for conveyance to England; by which vessel I also transmitted to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty a statement of the operations of the expedition up to the present time. The Ruby sailed the next morning; but we remained until the following day to finish our arrangements, take down and stow away the observatories, and make other necessary preparations for our departure.

The mean variation of the compass observed on Garden Island, between the 21st and 28th of July, was 9 deg. 57' 19" E., and the mean dip 60 deg. 50' 5" S.

In the course of the afternoon Commander Crozier and I went to government-house, to take leave of Sir George and Lady Gipps, from whom we had experienced during our stay the greatest kindness and warmest hospitality, especially evinced by their leaving us perfectly at liberty to accept or decline their almost daily invitations, but always receiving us with a most cordial welcome whenever our duties admitted of our appearing at their hospitable mansion. And our expedition is indebted to the Governor, not only for every assistance that we required, but for the readiness he uniformly manifested in facilitating our pursuits.

We also took leave of our warm-hearted friends

SAIL FROM PORT JACKSON.

1841. August.

of the M'Leay family, and of several of the gentlemen of the Australian Club, who had done us the honour to invite all the principal officers of the expedition to a grand public dinner.

We dined, and spent our last evening at Sydney, with the Governor and a number of friends he had invited to meet us; and, on our return on board at night, we found the ships had been unmoored in the afternoon, and were in every respect ready to sail at daylight in the morning, if the light westerly wind which was then blowing should continue favourable.

Late at night Commander T. R. Sulivan arrived in a merchant vessel from the East Indies, he having been appointed by the Commander-in-Chief to fill the vacancy occasioned by the melancholy death of Commander Croker, of H. M. S. Favourite; and as we had every reason to believe that vessel to be in some of the ports of New Zealand, his opportune arrival gave me the pleasure of Commander Sulivan's company to the Bay of Islands, where I expected we should meet the Favourite.

August 5.

A perfect calm in the morning, and the flowing tide, prevented our sailing so early as I wished; but a westerly wind springing up on the turn of tide at 11 A.M., we weighed, and made sail out of the harbour. At noon we were at sea, running with all sail before a favourable and freshening breeze. At 4 P.M., the light-house on the South Head bore E. by S., distant 20 miles, from which we took our departure, and shaped our course for

CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE.

1841.

the north end of New Zealand, distant rather more than, a thousand miles.

We were much surprised to find the temperature both of the air and of the sea rise very considerably on leaving the harbour: the air from 55 deg. to 60 deg.; the surface of the sea from 55 deg. to 63 deg. immediately outside the Heads, which latter temperature continued without variation as we increased our distance from the land, that of the air again falling as the night advanced.

We observed some vivid lightning in the S. E., and apprehended a change of wind, but in this we were fortunately mistaken, the strong westerly breeze prevailing, and carrying us rapidly forward on our course, so that by noon the next day we had run a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, and were, by observation, in lat. 33 deg. 52' S., long. August 6. 154 deg. 8' E., dip 62 deg. 41, var. 9 deg. 42' E.; by which also we found that we had been carried by a current twenty-nine miles to the south, which may in some measure account for the increased temperature of the sea above mentioned. At night, the Terror falling far astern, rendered a reduction of sail necessary, to our great mortification, as we had been struggling hard the whole day to keep a-head of a merchant ship which sailed some hours after us from Sydney, and which we now observed going fast past us, under comparatively easy sail; but our vessels were very deeply laden, considerably below their bearings, having completed to three years' provisions, stores, and fuel, at Sydney; so

CURRENT ALONG THE COAST.

1841.

that, although carrying a heavy press of sail, we could not get them to go more than eight knots. We saw no birds during the day, a circumstance to us of unusual occurrence, but which reminded us of the low latitude in which we were sailing. Towards evening, the wind veered to the northward, and throughout the day we had several heavy showers of rain.

During the night we were obliged to reduce our sail to topsails and foresail, to enable the Terror to close, which she had hardly accomplished by day-light, when all sail was again made, the wind

Aug. 7.

having backed from the N. W. to the S. W. At noon, we had run one hundred and sixty miles during the last twenty-four hours, and had been carried ten miles to the southward by the current. The change of wind had produced an awkward cross sea, which, together with frequent sharp squalls, occasioned us the loss of a few studding-sail booms; but this was of no consequence, as we were going to a country where the finest spars in the world for the purpose could be obtained without trouble or expense; but we were much surprised to experience such heavy squalls at so great a distance from any land.

Aug. 8.

At noon we were in lat. 33 deg.27' S., and long. 160 deg. 43' E., having run a distance of one hundred and sixty-three miles. We found the current today had carried us ten miles to the northward, so that it would appear that the breadth of the belt of warm water which runs along the eastern coast of

FALLING STARS.

1841.

New South Wales to the southward, at the rate of about twenty miles a-day, whose influence we had felt for the two previous days, does not much exceed three hundred miles. The temperature of the surface had sensibly changed since noon yesterday, from 64 deg. to 61 deg.; that of the air remaining steady at 59 deg. The Cape pigeon and sooty albatross were again seen this afternoon, as also were several flocks of flying fish – one of these creatures flew on board. In the evening, and throughout the night, observers were placed in different parts of the ship, to watch for the occurrence of falling stars, which might be expected to take place about the middle of this month. As the thorough accomplishment of this object required the aid of more observers than we could muster amongst the officers, even with the assistance of the civilians, who were ever ready to help on these occasions, it was necessary to train some of the more intelligent and careful of the seamen of each watch to this duty; and their report of the number seen in the division of the heavens to which their attention was directed was made to the officer of the watch at the end of every half-hour. One of the more zealous of these observers, who had not been so fortunate as to see any "falling stars" during his first half-hour, did not wish to leave his post when relieved, "as he was sure two or three would fall in a few minutes; he had been watching them, and could see they were shaking!"

Aug. 9.

At 1 P.M., in lat. 33 deg. 40', long. 164 deg. 18', we

BRIGHT METEOR.

1841.

tried the temperature of the sea: at three hundred fathoms it was 49 deg.7; at one hundred and fifty fathoms 55 deg.8, and at the surface 59 deg., the specific gravity being 1.0274 at 60 deg.

Aug. 9.

Three sperm whales were seen, also a few flying fish, sooty albatross, and cape pigeons. At 8.20 P.M., "a bright meteor was observed to burst in the S.W., at an altitude of 20 deg., exhibiting a shower of beautifully variegated stars." It was also noticed on board the Terror, and is more circumstantially described in her log-book: – "At 8*20, observed a brilliant meteor emerge from a dark cloud near the southern cross, at an altitude of 10 deg.; it rose to the altitude of about 25 deg., and in descent showed five bright lights." Fifteen falling stars were seen between 10 and 11 P.M., at which time about one half of the hemisphere was obscured by clouds.

Aug. 10.

The wind had gradually declined during the morning until 9 o'clock, when, being very nearly calm, I took the only opportunity we yet had of trying the new self-registering thermometers that had been made at my request to stand a much greater pressure than those we had been at first supplied with, and which could never be safely sent to a greater depth than five hundred fathoms. We hove to at 9h. 20m. in lat. 33 deg. 41' S., long. 166 deg. 23' E., and tried for soundings with 820 fathoms, but without striking the ground. The temperature of the sea at 750 fathoms was 40 deg.4; at 600 fathoms, 42 deg.7; at 450 fathoms, 45 deg.6; at 300 fathoms, 49 deg.5; at

TEMPERATURE OF THE OCEAN.

1841.

150 fathoms, 53 deg.6; at 100 fathoms, 56 deg.7; at 50 fathoms, 57 deg.6; at 2 fathoms, 58 deg.7; and at the surface, 59 deg.7: the new thermometers agreeing very satisfactorily in their indications with those we had formerly used, when sent down together to several depths less than 600 fathoms. From these experiments it would appear that the mean temperature of the ocean was not attained; and for this purpose it would be necessary to descend below 800 fathoms in this latitude. The temperatures obtained at the several different depths were in each case about a decree higher than those taken in the same parallel in the Atlantic, and differing to very nearly the same amount from some obtained by Sir Edward Belcher in 32 deg. 46' N. latitude, and 152 deg. W. longitude, and of which he kindly furnished me an account, when I met him at the Cape, in April, 1843. The following table will show the comparison at these three widely different positions.

Aug. 10.

We were at the time of these experiments about two hundred and seventy miles from the islands called the Three Kings, off the north end of New

CORAL BANK.

1841.

Zealand, which was the nearest land, and at so great a distance could hardly be supposed to have exercised any influence on the temperature of the sea.

In the afternoon we had light, variable winds from the S. E., accompanied by sharp squalls and showers of rain: many different kinds of marine animals were taken in the net, which the light breeze admitted of our towing astern, and it was interesting to recognize amongst them several of the same species with those we had taken in the tropical regions of the Atlantic. A large shoal of porpoises, and some immature albatross, were also seen.

Aug. 11.

At 10 A.M. we struck soundings in four hundred fathoms, on a bank of sand and small black stones; the dredge was put overboard, and after dragging along the ground about half an hour it was found to contain some beautiful specimens of coral, corallines, flustrae, and a few crustaceous animals. The freshening breeze prevented our obtaining a larger number of specimens. The position of this bank is in lat. 33 deg. 32' S. long. 167 deg. 40' E., and about two hundred and twenty miles N. 80 deg. W. from the Three Kings. The discovery of a coral bank rising from so great a depth towards the surface of the ocean, and probably in future ages to form an island between New South Wales and New Zealand, is a remarkable circumstance; and a careful determination of its exact size and the smallest depth of water over any part of it, by which means its annual

CORAL BANK.

1841. August 11.

growth might be hereafter ascertained, would have been desirable; but our present object did not admit of our bestowing so much time on the investigation as it would have required. The temperature of the sea at different depths over this bank were as follows: at four hundred fathoms, 45 deg.3; at three hundred fathoms, 48 deg.l; at two hundred fathoms, 51 deg.; and at one hundred and fifty fathoms, 53 deg.; which, when compared with those at corresponding depths obtained in the deeper sea yesterday, would seem to bear out the following remark extracted from the instructions prepared for me by the Meteorological Committee of the Royal Society. 5

"As no sea can be supposed absolutely motionless, the presence of a shoal, by casting up to the surface water which, but for it, would have continued to sweep along at a greatly lower level with the general body of the current, must bring the temperature of the surface water into nearer correspondence with that below. In low latitudes the surface water is hotter than that below; and accordingly it is a general remark, that the temperature sinks as the water shoals, or even in passing over banks whose depth is very considerable. If this theory of the phenomenon be correct, the contrary ought to be observed in situations where the surface water is colder than that below, as it is known to be, under particular circumstances, in the polar seas." The subject is one of considerable interest

ISLAND OF THREE KINGS.

1841. August.

to the navigator, as the approach to land or shoal August, water is indicated by the thermometer, in many places, with a high degree of sensibility. A remarkable instance of this kind occurs off the west coast of Africa, of which an account is given in the first volume of this narrative. 6

Stormy weather during the three following days prevented our trying for soundings to a greater depth than four hundred fathoms, at which we did not reach the bottom. The appearance of solan geese, numerous patches of seaweed, and a remarkable degree of phosphorescence of the water, indicated our approach to land. It was seen at 9 A.M. of the 10th, bearing S. E. At noon, in lat. 34 deg. S. and long. 172 deg. E., we had no soundings with three hundred and fifty fathoms; the Three Kings bearing from S. 50 deg. E. to S. 8 deg. E., distant between seven and eight leagues. The wind being fresh from the N. E., with a heavy sea running, we stood towards the islands on the port tack, but should not have weathered them, had we not been assisted by a strong tide to windward; between the principal of the three islands and the small islet at the N. E. extreme, we observed a reef of rocks just above water, over which the waves were breaking furiously. We could not discern any bay or harbour on the north side of the island, which Tasman named the island of the Three Kings, in allusion to the day (Epiphany) on which he is said to have cast anchor off it. From our ships it had the

CAPE MARIA VAN DIEMEN.

1841.

appearance of a wild unprotected rocky shore, but the soundings were such as to leave no doubt upon our minds that he might have anchored under the lee of the island in perfect safety.

Having weathered the small north-eastern islet, and finding the soundings regularly diminish from sixty-five fathoms, on fine gray sand and broken shells, at 6 P.M., to thirty-five fathoms at 9 P.M., we stood towards the main land until that time, when we tacked off to the eastward during the darkness of night; the only land in sight being the high bold Cape Maria Van Diemen, of romantic association.

It was so designated by Tasman nearly two hundred years ago, after a young lady of that name, to whom he was attached, and whom he afterwards married; she was the daughter, or near relation, of Anthony Van Diemen, the governor of the Dutch possessions in India, a great friend of Tasman, and by whom the expedition he commanded was sent forth, having been fitted out under his immediate superintendence at Batavia.

This great navigator was, therefore, the discoverer of the North Island of New Zealand as well as of An Diemen's Land. The recent alteration of the name of the latter place to that of Tasmania, whilst it has paid only a just tribute to his memory, will serve at the same time to perpetuate a name which occupies so honourable and proud a position in the history of nautical discovery.

Aug. 16.

The wind continuing moderate, and shifting to the northward, we tacked at 1.40 A.M., and

CAPE NORTH.

1841.

sounded in sixty-three fathoms, gray sand and broken shells. At day-light we saw Cape Maria bearing S. by W. 1/2 W. (true), and Cape North was soon afterwards seen as we stood to the eastward. We now experienced squally weather as we closed the land, and the wind backing to the eastward we were unable to fetch along the coast, and were therefore employed during the rest of the day contending with the wind, but making very little progress towards our desired port, owing to the north-easterly swell which prevailed.

At noon Cape North bore S. 56 deg. E. (true), distant about eight miles; the range of hills of which it forms the termination rises to the elevation of 1130 feet above the level of the sea; and a peaked mountain, bearing S. 10 deg. W. attains nearly 1000 feet. The rest of the coast is of very inconsiderable height, seldom exceeding four to six hundred feet, and in some places so low as, at a distance, to give the appearance of a separation. At 5 P.M., we sounded in thirty-two fathoms, shingle and broken shells, Cape North bearing S. 71 deg. W., between two and three miles distant. Beating along the coast, we found the soundings sufficiently regular to be a safe guide, even during foggy weather; but under such circumstances it is to be avoided if possible, the tides being strong and irregular, and the survey of the shores very imperfect.

Aug. 17.

The wind continued adverse during the night, and the whole of the next day, so that it was not

ANCHOR IN THE KAWA KAWA.

1841. August.

until late in the evening that we arrived at, and hove to off, the entrance of the Bay of Islands, the night being too dark for us to attempt the harbour. A lighthouse on Cape Brett, Cape Pocock, or one of the outer islands of the bay, is a desideratum of the first importance to the trade of this place. Had the wind increased to a heavy gale, our ships would have been in a very dangerous position; as it was, we were not without much anxiety during the night; the rapidly descending barometer and general aspect of the weather gave but too evident symptoms of the approaching gale, and when day broke, the haze was so dense that we could not see the land; fortunately for us, a partial clearing of only a few minutes duration gave us a glimpse of the fine bold promontory called Cape Brett, with its pierced rock off it, by which it can be distinguished from all other headlands. We immediately bore away before the breeze, which had by this time increased to a gale, steering for Kororarika Point, which we got sight of through the fog and the rain, which was pouring down in torrents. Furling all our square sails, we ran before the wind, passing the anchorage of Kororarika, and, guided by the admirable chart of Captain Fitzroy, entered the narrows of the river Kawa Kawa, the ships stirring the mud up as they passed over the bar, on which there was rather less water than they drew, and anchored about a mile and a half from its entrance, at 10.30 A.M., in five fathoms – moored with the best

AMERICAN CORVETTE, YORKTOWN.

1841. August.

bower to the N. E., and small bower to the S. W., with thirty-six fathoms of cable upon each; Point Omatta flag-staff bearing S. 56 deg. E., Point Gore N. 3 deg. W. We observed the American corvette Yorktown at anchor off Kororarika, when the fog and rain cleared away in the evening; and the next morning I had the pleasure of receiving a visit from her commander, Captain Aulick, when I was sorry to learn from him that, having fulfilled the purposes which brought him here, and finished the refitting of his ship, he intended to sail almost immediately for the Sandwich Islands.

Commander Crozier and I went to pay our respects to Mr. Fitzgerald, the only representative of the civil authority at this place. He had recently arrived from England, having been appointed to a high official situation, but at the request of the Governor was fulfilling the duties of chief magistrate at this place until a favourable opportunity should occur for removing with his wife and family to the new seat of government at Auckland. At this time he was residing in a wooden house that Governor Hobson had brought from England with him, and which had been put up on the lands purchased by him with the intention of establishing at this place the capital of the colony; but, to the great disappointment of the inhabitants of Kororarika, and the settlers in the neighbouring country, he very judiciously removed with all the government officers to a more eligible spot at the Thames, where the

POSITION OF OBSERVATORY.

1841. August.

city of Auckland was at this time in process of erection. Captain Hobson was unfortunately abon an official inspection of the more remote settlements established by the New Zealand Company, so that I had no opportunity of paying my respects to him. From Mr. Fitzgerald I received every attention, and permission to place our observatories on any part of the government grounds we might think most suitable; but the spot we had selected in the course of a forenoon's pull along the shores of the river, belonged to the Missionaries of the Church of England, and he referred me to the Reverend Mr. Williams, formerly a lieutenant of the Royal Navy. We therefore called upon that gentleman at the Missionary establishment of Paihia, who immediately granted us the required permission: in the afternoon our observatories were landed, and in a few hours were ready to receive the instruments.

The spot I had selected for our observatories was on a low level point of shingle, not more than three or four feet above high water, upon the left bank of the river Kawa Kawa, close by a small stream, whose muddy banks at low water gave occasion to our sailors to call it the "muddy-muddy," and about a quarter of a mile from the place called by the natives, "Haumi," marked by a small cluster of trees, on the beach where the bodies of the French navigator, Marion, and his unfortunate companions, were devoured by the exasperated savages, who conveyed them from the scene of the massacre,

ANCHORAGE.

1841. August.

first across the narrow neck of land to Kororarika, and thence in canoes to Haumi, where they could indulge their horrid feast in more security and without fear of interruption.

Capt. Fitzroy very justly observes, that this sad catastrophe is now known to have been caused by mutual ignorance of each other's language; the Frenchmen, not understanding that the spot was "tabooed" persisted in fishing there against the remonstrances of the natives, and endeavoured to maintain their intrusion by force.

With reference to the anchorage I had chosen for our ships, and in which I was guided chiefly by his remarks, he observes, that "the estuary, or arm of the sea, forms an excellent harbour for ships not larger than third-class frigates; or, to speak in a more definite manner, for those which do not draw more than seventeen feet of water. On each side the land rises to five or six hundred feet, sheltering the anchorage without occasioning those violent squalls, alternating with calms, that are found under the lee of very high land, over which strong wind is blowing. As far as I know, there are very few shoals or banks in the wide space which forms the inner harbour. A slight stream of current and tide runs outwards during about seven hours, and the tide sets inwards about five, though with still less strength." To his ample and interesting account of this part of New Zealand and its inhabitants, and to the numerous more recent accounts of this painfully interesting

SMALL-POX.

1841. August.

country, which have been published by those who 1841. had better means of obtaining accurate information than I had, I must refer the reader, confining any remarks I may have to make to points bearing more immediately upon our own pursuits and the especial objects of our voyage.

1 A detailed and highly interesting account of the state of the colony at that time is given by Lieutenant Wilkes in the second volume of the "Narrative of the United States' Exploring Expedition," pp. 163-274.

2 Annales de Chimie, tome xxxvi.

3 Those who witnessed the heavy fall of rain and its destructive effects, which occurred between 3h 30m and 6h 30m P.M., on the 1st August, 1846, in London; during which above four inches of rain fell, may form some idea of the quantity here mentioned; but who can conceive the terrible consequences that would have resulted had it continued without intermission twenty-four hours?

4 It was opened on the 3rd of August, 1843.

5 Page 50.

6 Page 34.

CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.

Suggestions relative to Vaccination. – Communicate with Captain Aulick. – Hourly Observations. – Visits of Awara and Pomare. – Dissatisfaction of the New Zealanders. – Influence of the Missionaries. – Climate. – Meteorological Abstracts.

SMALL-POX.

CHAPTER III.

1841. August 20.

The magnetometrical and other instruments were landed this morning, and their arrangement and adjustment kept us all busily employed. Early in the morning the surgeon of the Yorktown came alongside with a message from Captain Aulick, acquainting me that the small-pox had made its appearance amongst his crew, and requesting to be furnished with a small quantity of vaccine matter, as that which they had brought from America with them was found to have lost its virtue. Unfortunately we had none to give them, nor could any be obtained from the medical officer at Kororarika; so that had this dreadful malady been taken by the natives, it is awful to think how terrible must have been the consequences, and the thousands that would have fallen victims to its virulence. If, as has been asserted, and I believe, proved, the vaccine matter which acts so powerfully as a preventive be merely the virus of the small-pox modified by the constitution of a cow which had been attacked by that disease, might it not be desirable, on its breaking out in a country where vaccine matter is not to be had, immediately to inoculate a cow with the smallpox, and thus obtain the best of all remedies? This question I must leave to be answered by those conversant with these matters; and if the suggestion

SMALL-POX.

1841. August.

should be considered effectual, it is desirable that it should be as extensively known as possible. 7

Commander Crozier and I returned the visit of Captain Aulicko and prevailed on him and two of his officers to spend the following day on board the Erebus, and in examining the instruments at the observatories, which he was very desirous to see. It was on this occasion, when hearing from him, that he had only recently parted from the squadron under the command of Lieutenant Wilkes, and was likely in a short time to meet that officer again, being also a personal friend of his, I considered it to be the most delicate mode of acquainting Lieutenant Wilkes with the circumstance of our having passed over a large space in clear water, where he had placed mountainous land on the chart he sent me. As I have given a full account of this transaction in the first volume of my narrative, I need not make any further allusion to it here, except to express my regret, that,

LIEUTENANT WILKES.

1841. August.

owing to Captain Aulick having sailed from Oahu a few days before Lieutenant Wilkes arrived there, he had no opportunity of making my communication to Lieutenant Wilkes before that officer heard of the circumstance through newspapers, which gave a very distorted view of the question, and not only occasioned him much uneasiness, but left a very erroneous impression on the minds of all who regarded the information derived from that source as conclusive against any land at all having been discovered by the American squadron. And this impression was greatly strengthened by the publicly-declared opinion of one of the officers of the squadron to the same effect whilst at Sydney; but, whether this assertion arose from malicious motives or not, the most conclusive refutation of it is given in the narrative of the voyage, and in the evidence elicited at the several courts of inquiry, which followed the return of the expedition to America. The Yorktown sailed the next morning for the Sandwich Islands.

The unceasing round of hourly observations was soon brought into operation, and provided full occupation for all the executive officers of both ships, except only the senior lieutenants, who remained in charge of the vessels.

The medical officers, in their turn, made short excursions into the interior, for the purpose of increasing our collections of natural history; but the natives at the time of our visit were beginning to feel deeply, and to express in terms of severe

PARTIES SENT FOR SPARS.

1841. August.

bitterness, their great disappointment at the effects of the treaty of Waitangi, so that I did not consider it advisable to permit those officers to extend their researches to any considerable distance from the position we had taken up. And although it was necessary to despatch boats several miles up the river, for the purpose of obtaining the spars we required to replace those that had been carried away during our run from Sydney, as well as to increase our store, yet I thought it proper that they should be well armed and prepared to resist any attack which the natives seemed well disposed to make, whenever it could be done with any certainty of success, and also to entrust the conduct of those parties to one of the senior lieutenants: indeed, so strong was the impression upon my mind of the readiness of the natives to seize any favourable opportunity of regaining possession of their lands and driving the Europeans out of the country, that I always felt much anxiety during the absence of our people, although I could fully rely on the prudence and judgment of Lieutenant Bird, by whom they were chiefly conducted. No spars of the size and kind we wanted were to be had near to our anchorage: the demands of the numbers of whalers that in former years used to resort to this port to refit had completely exhausted the forests of the immediate neighbourhood; and Lieutenant Bird found it necessary to proceed to a considerable distance up the river before he could procure any. There he was

AWARA.

1841. August.

obliged to purchase some of a chief named Awara who was quite prepared to resist their being cut down, as in former years, for only a trifling payment. But now, muskets, and these only, were required for the trees, and without them we should not have been able to have obtained a single spar, except by force, which in the then temper of mind of the "Maories" would have led to serious results. As soon as Awara found his demand for two muskets for the spars was agreed to, he became more civil and obliging, – pointing out the best trees, and the most easy mode of getting them to the water; for although of course our carpenters were of the party, the chief proved that his selection of the trees as they were growing, was invariably better than theirs, after being cut down. He returned with Lieutenant Bird to the ships to receive the promised payment, when it appeared that his two muskets meant a double-barrelled gun, which they all seemed most desirous to possess; but as those we had on board were the private property of the officers, who of course were most unwilling to part with them, Awara was at length well satisfied with two rifles and a complete suit of lieutenant's uniform, which the officers furnished him with, and which he immediately put on, to the amusement of our sailors, and his great delight. I have not seen his name mentioned amongst those who have been engaged in the recent hostile transactions in that neighbourhood, and may therefore hope the rifles have not been employed against our

POMARE.

1841. August.

own countrymen; and as from his isolated position it would be his policy to be on good terms with the Europeans, he has more probably acted with our forces against the rebellious Heki.

Pomare, another chief, and one who has taken a very questionable, if not a traitorous part in these transactions, also visited our ships, to obtain his customary present of gunpowder and fire-arms, and especially rum, to which he had lately become so addicted as seldom to be seen sober. He had, however, been on all former occasions very friendly to Europeans, and was of material assistance to Governor Hobson, on his first arrival in the colony, for the purpose of taking formal possession of it, in the name of Queen Victoria, and was not only amongst the first to sign the treaty of Waitangi, but was mainly instrumental in inducing many other chiefs, of far greater importance than himself, to do so. He was, therefore, entitled to more than ordinary consideration, and was received on board our ships, when he paid his first visit of ceremony, in all due formality. He did not appear in his usual state, the war-canoe and war-dance were laid aside on this occasion, and he had evidently drunk more rum than was quite consistent with his assumed gravity and dignity. His favourite wife also seemed to have shared his libations, and was therefore equally unfit to sustain the queenly part she endeavoured to perform. In one of her unguarded moments, whilst giving way to her extreme delight on looking over some

POMARE.

1841. August.

glittering toys that I had selected as a present for her, she recognised a portrait of our most gracious Queen, which was in my cabin, and immediately resuming a most ridiculous air of dignity, walked up to it, and holding out her copper-coloured hand, said, "Yes, all same as me – Victoria, she queen, – me queen too." Pomare was well pleased with some carpenter's tools I presented to him, instead of his customary present, and which I selected from a number of useful and ornamental articles which had been sent to me by my excellent friends, Mr. and Mrs. Beaufoy, for distribution amongst any natives we might meet with in the course of our voyage, and which I had now an opportunity of bestowing with great advantage to the natives, and felt much gratification in thus fulfilling the intentions of those benevolent and kind friends.

Pomare complained in strong terms of the treaty to which he had been so instrumental in getting his countrymen to become parties. He had not supposed that it was intended to deprive him of the power of selling his land to whoever he pleased; and although they all clearly understood that the treaty of Waitangi bound them to give the Queen's government the first offer of any portion of their lands they wished to sell, yet he expressed himself highly indignant at the thought that, if his offer were declined by the governor, no private individual could become the legal owner of it; thus, in fact, depriving him of the independent use

DISSATISFACTION OF THE NATIVES.

1841. August.

of his own property. Those also who had sold much of their land, years ago, for a comparatively trifling consideration, bitterly repented their having done so now, when they perceived how greatly it had increased in value; and although fully acknowledging the just right of the present possessors, yet they would, no doubt, be glad of any pretext to join any party they thought strong enough to drive the Europeans out of the land; and thus regain possession of it by right of conquest.

The introduction of custom-house and other dues, which had been the means of preventing the southern whalers from refitting in the Bay of Islands, and trading with the natives, was considered by those living in the neighbourhood of the bay a great grievance, as it deprived them of their best customers. The whale-ships that were accustomed to get all their supplies in the harbours of New Zealand, so much more convenient to them from being so near to their principal fishing places, are now obliged to seek refreshments, and supply all their wants, at some of the islands of the Polynesian group.

These were the chief causes of complaint that I heard at the time of our visit; and it was evident that, in consequence of the measures which had so immediately followed the signing of the treaty of Waitangi, it began to be regarded with very different feelings, not only by the generality of the natives, but also by some of the most powerful of their chiefs, who gradually became more and more

INFLUENCE OF THE MISSIONARIES.

1841. August.

doubtful of the advantage of their altered position as they found their power and influence fast passing away into the hands of the settlers, who had flocked from England to this misrepresented colony in thousands, and established themselves in several parts of the northern island. It could not escape the jealous vigilance of the chiefs that the numbers of Europeans were increasing so rapidly that they would soon outnumber themselves, and gain possession of all their lands. Some of the chiefs had already called together large meetings of the natives, under the pretence of a feast, and had harangued them on the subject, especially calling upon them not to sell their lands to the Pakehas (or strangers); and at a sale of land which took place at Auckland, whilst we were at the Bay of Islands, I understood that some of the chiefs attended the auction, and actually re-purchased some of the land they had previously sold. No acts of violence had yet been perpetrated, and the rights of the present possessors of the land had hitherto been perfectly respected; but it cannot be denied, even by the most inveterate maligners of the missionaries, that this forbearance on the part of the natives was mainly due to the influence and persuasion of these good and pious men, who, having endured so much privation and hardship in their zealous endeavours to diffuse amongst the heathens the blessings of Christianity and the knowledge of the Gospel, were much looked up to by them for their advice on all occasions, and for whom,

CLIMATE.

1841. Sept. 2.

therefore, they very naturally feel the greatest affection and regard.

H. M. S. Favourite arrived early this morning, when Commander Sulivan went on board, and superseded Lieutenant Dunlop, who had been acting commander of her since the death of her lamented captain. He was at this time suffering so much from the severe wounds he had received in that unfortunate affair which deprived the service of one of her most gallant officers, that it was necessary for him to proceed to England for the restoration of his health. He was accordingly invalided the next day, and returned to Auckland, where a ship was lying in readiness to sail for Sydney, and thence to England, which afforded me a favourable opportunity of sending despatches to the Secretary of the Admiralty.

Our magnetometric and pendulum observations proceeded to our entire satisfaction; but as these are now in course of publication, at the expense of government, and will shortly appear in a complete form, under the superintendence of Colonel Sabine, I need not here make any further allusion to them. But as any information respecting the nature of the climate of this newly-colonised country cannot fail to be useful, and as the importance of meteorological inquiries appears hitherto to have been wholly overlooked or neglected, I may hope, by inserting here a monthly abstract of the observations made on board our ships during the three months they were at anchor in the River

CLIMATE.

1841. August.

Kawa Kawa, to contribute in a small degree to the beginning of an inquiry which, if carried out for a few years, must prove of great advantage to the settlers in the management and improvement of their farms; for every one must be aware how intimately connected the various states of the atmosphere, and the consequent changes of weather, are with all the more important operations of the agriculturist.

The following tables are founded on observations of the temperature of the air and surface of the sea, the height of the barometer, the direction and force of the wind, and the state of the weather recorded every hour during the whole period, and are divided into equal intervals of about thirty days each, for the convenience of reference as well as of comparison with similar observations made in England, by which our emigrants will more readily perceive the change of climate they will have to make allowance for in all their pastoral and agricultural proceedings in their newly-adopted country.

The first table comprises the result of each day's observation between the 19th of August and the 17th of September; the mean of which corresponds more nearly with the 2nd of September, which may be considered equal to March of the northern hemisphere, and therefore, according to the most natural division of the seasons, is the first month of Spring. The mean temperature of the atmosphere is 53 deg.9, and the range of temperature during the period was 66 deg. to 39 deg. In Eng-

ABSTRACT OF THE METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL OF HER MAJESTY'S SHIP EREBUS, AT NEW ZEALAND, FROM THE 19th AUGUST TO THE 17th OF SEPTEMBER.

ABSTRACT OF THE METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL OF HER MAJESTY'S SHIP EREBUS, AT NEW ZEALAND, BETWEEN THE 18th OF SEPTEMBER AND THE 18th OF OCTOBER, 1841.

CLIMATE.

1841.

land, the mean temperature due to the middle of the month of March is 43 deg.9, and the average range is from 66 deg. to 24 deg. The first month of Spring in New Zealand has therefore a higher temperature by ten degrees than that of England; and, although, the maximum temperature in both is the same, yet the climate of New Zealand is free from those severe frosts which frequently do so much mischief to advanced vegetation in England.

The mean temperature of the dew point, as derived from observations made four times each day, viz.; at 3h and 9h A.M., and 3h and 9h P.M., by Mr. Lyall, assistant-surgeon of the Terror, was found to be 49 deg.6; the amount of dryness is therefore 4 deg.3; the degree of moisture of the air is .862; and the elasticity of vapour is equal to 0. 395 inches. The quantity of rain which fell 11. 76 inches, and the greatest fall occurred between 2 A.M. on the 8th, and 2 A.M. on the 9th September, amounting to 5.5 inches; the barometer during the time being below its mean height, and the wind fresh from the northward: so far, therefore, as regards the moisture of the atmosphere, there is very little difference between the first spring month of England and of New Zealand, the degree of dryness in England being 4 deg.9, the moisture of the air .831, the elasticity of vapour .272, but the quantity of rain amounts to only 1.44 inch.

The mean height of the barometer is 30.034, and its range 1.14 inch. The diurnal variations of pressure, commonly called the atmospheric tides,

CLIMATE.

1841.

occur at 9 A.M. and 10 P.M. when it is greatest, and 4 A.M. and 3 P.M. when it is least; and the difference amounts to .041 inch.

The mean temperature of the surface of the sea is 56 deg.

In like manner for the next month, the mean temperature of the air derived from the second table, which comprises an abstract of all the observations made between the 18th September and 18th October, an interval of thirty-one days, and correspond to the 3rd October, is 57 deg.9, – an increase of four degrees in the mean temperature of the month as the season advances, whilst that of England increases about six degrees. The range of temperature at New Zealand is from 73 deg. to 39 deg.; in England, in April, it is 74 deg. to 29 deg.

The mean temperature of the dew point is 53 deg., making the amount of dryness 4 deg.9; the degree of moisture has consequently varied very little, being .847, the elasticity of vapour, .444, the quantity of rain, 4.1 inches. The greatest fall of rain during the period occurred between 5 P.M. and midnight of the 17th of October, amounting to 2.84 inches, the barometer being rather below its mean height for the season, and the wind strong from the northward.

The mean height of the barometer is 30.118, and its range .738 inch. The greatest pressure occurs at 9 A.M. and 10 P.M., and the least pressure at 4 A.M. and 4 P.M.: the difference amounts to .044 inch.

ABSTRACT OF THE METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL OF HER MAJESTY'S SHIP EREBUS. AT NEW ZEALAND, FROM THE 19th OF OCTOBER TO THE 17th OF NOVEMBER, 1841.

1841.

The mean temperature of the surface of the sea is 58 deg.1.

The third table is also derived from all the observations made between the 19th of October and 17th November, an interval of thirty days; the mean temperature corresponding to the 3rd November has advanced two-and-a-half degrees, to 60 deg.5, and its range is from 74 deg. to 47 deg. In England the mean temperature for May is 54 deg., and its range from 70 deg. to 33 deg.

The mean temperature of the dew point is only 52 deg., showing that the atmosphere has attained a greater degree of dryness, being 8 deg.5; the moisture of the air is therefore reduced to 0.735. In England, we also find, that in May, the temperature of the air still outstrips the advance of vapour, and the atmosphere attains very nearly its state of greatest dryness; the mean temperature of the dew point being 46 deg.1; the degree of dryness is 7 deg.9, and the state of saturation, .769. The elasticity of vapour in New Zealand is 0.428; in England, 0.354 inch.

The quantity of rain in New Zealand, 9.5 inches, and the greatest fall occurred on the 8th November, between 4 A.M. and 6 P.M. 2.1 inches, the barometer being about its mean height, and the wind from the north. In England the quantity of rain in May is only 1.85 inch.

The mean height of the barometer is 29.904, and its range 1.80 inch. In the diurnal tides the times of greatest pressure are 9 A.M. and 11 P.M.,

CLIMATE.

1841.

and of least pressure, 4 A.M. and 4 P.M.; the difference is 0.032 inch.

The next table contains a summary of the condition of the atmosphere during the three months of the spring season; and that which follows, derived from Mr. Daniell's Essay upon the Climate of London, is inserted here for the sake of comparison.

The mean temperature for the year in England is 49 deg.2, which differs very slightly from the mean temperature of the three months of spring. It is not at all improbable that the mean temperature

CLIMATE.

1841.

for the year at New Zealand may likewise not differ greatly from that of the spring, and would be rather more than the mean of the above three months, as their respective means refer to the 2d or 3d, instead of the middle day of each month. It will, therefore, probably prove to be about 59 deg., or ten degrees above that of England.

But we have another mode of arriving at the mean temperature, without apprehension of any considerable amount of error.

In accordance with my instructions, and with the view to collect facts relative to the distribution of temperature on land, five pairs of self-registering thermometers, after having been carefully compared with the standard, and their corrections accurately determined, were packed in vessels, and, after being well covered with non-conducting substances, were buried in the earth at the depths of one, three, six, nine, and twelve feet, on the 18th of October, and were allowed to remain there until the 12th of November following, so as to ensure their acquiring the precise temperature of the soil; and the mean reading of the two thermometers, when corrected at each of the several depths, was as follows: –

The temperature of water in a well at Waimati, thirty-five feet deep, but with only six feet four

CLIMATE.

1841.

inches of water in it, was 58 deg.8. From these facts we may be led to conclude the mean temperature for the year will be found to be very nearly 59 deg.

This is, however, a point of considerable importance to have determined accurately, and the observations should be continued throughout several years before this can be accomplished. In looking over the hourly observations that were made by the officers of the Erebus and Terror, during the ninety-one days from which the above results have been obtained, I perceive that the mean temperature for the whole period would have been arrived at with very great accuracy by a single daily observation, either at 8.30 A.M. or 7 P.M.; and I doubt not the mean temperature for the year could be ascertained to within very small limits of error, by a regular register of the temperature at either or both of those hours, as might best suit the convenience of observers.

Besides the great difference of ten degrees of temperature, the quantity of rain which fell during the above interval, exactly five times the amount which falls in the spring, and three inches more than falls during the whole year in England, is very remarkable, and well deserving the attention of the agriculturist.

It is true this quantity differs materially from that given by Dr. Dieffenbach, being more than double the amount of that which fell during the same months of the same year at Port Nicholson; and he further states, that the whole quantity

CLIMATE.

1841.

which fell there between April, 1841, and February, 1842, was only 34.49 inches; from which he draws the conclusion that New Zealand has a rainy climate, and may be ranked in this respect with several places in England.

It certainly proves, as might have been anticipated, that a much greater quantity of rain falls at the northern than at the southern parts of the island; for the heaviest falls of rain occur during northerly winds, which come from the equatorial regions, fully charged with moisture, of which a large proportion is precipitated as it passes over the first land it meets.

Dr. Dieffenbach states the mean temperature of the whole year at Wellington to be 58.2, and the mean temperature of the three months of spring 57.7, a remarkable accordance with the results and inferences obtained from our observations at the Bay of Islands; and I can therefore with the more confidence quote from him the following table, showing the mean temperature of each month, which, although derived from only one year's observations, will probably be not far from the truth, in a climate which seems to possess an unusual degree of uniformity.

CLIMATE.

1841.

These results, for the convenience of comparison, I have arranged according to the order of the season, and it will be perceived that the mean of the winter and summer quarter, or that of the autumn and spring quarter, does not differ half a degree from the mean temperature of the year. The coldest month is July, the hottest January, – the difference of their mean is only 17 deg.7; whilst in England, that of the correspondent months amounts to twenty-five degrees.

At Auckland, which is not more than a hundred miles to the south of the Bay of Islands, the mean temperature of the year is 59 deg., that of the three summer months, 67 deg.2, and of the three winter months, 52 deg., their difference being only 15 deg.2, and their mean six-tenths of a degree above that of the mean annual temperature.

7 I have lately been referred by a medical friend to a paper in the Transactions of the Provincial, Medical, and Surgical Association, vol. x. p. 209., by Robert Ceeley, Esq., surgeon to the Buckinghamshire Infirmary, from which it appears he has clearly proved, by numerous experiments, that vaccine matter may be obtained by inoculating the cow with the small-pox; and that the matter so obtained effectually protects those who have been vaccinated with it from the small-pox, – a discovery of very great importance, to which the attention of medical men in general, and of naval surgeons in particular, should be directed, as affording a ready and effectual preventive from the attacks of that dreadful malady.

CHAPTER IV.

Catching the Great Penguins. Page 159.
Sketched by Dr. Hooker.

CHAPTER IV.

Aspect of the Country. – Visit to the Missionary Station of Waimati – Falls of the Keri Keri. – Kaudi Gum – Heki's Pah. – Heki's Feast. – Waimati. – Fishing Party to Lake Mapere. – Ascent of Puki Nui. – Lakes at Taiami. – Hot Springs of Tuakino. – Return to the Erebus. – Visit from Captain L'Eveque of the French Corvette, Heroine. – Capture of the French Whaler, Jean Bart, by the Inhabitants of Chatham Island. – Necessity for increased Naval Force in these Seas. – Tidal Observations.

CHAPTER IV.

1841.

THE total absence of roads through the country, and the uncertain state of feeling towards Europeans which the natives had begun to manifest, prevented our officers from penetrating to any considerable distance into the interior; the native paths through the woods and swamps being quite impracticable without the assistance of guides, and under existing circumstances it was hardly safe for any Europeans to place themselves so completely in the power of the natives, who might, at any time, leave them in a situation from which it would be utterly impossible to extricate themselves, or find a way through the perplexing labyrinth in which they might become helplessly involved.

Fortunately our occupations demanding our attention so constantly, prevented our feeling any regret that the nature of the country opposed so serious a barrier to any researches we might have desired to make, for nothing could be more uninviting than its appearance from the ships and the neighbouring hills; the gently undulating surface covered almost entirely with fern, gave it an uniformity and sterility of aspect which the few clumps of trees, with which it was varied, served only to render the more remarkable, whilst the thickly interwoven underwood made travelling

MISSIONARY STATION.

1841.

through the high fern groves extremely tedious and laborious.

As soon as the pendulum experiments, which had wholly engaged my time until the end of October, were completed, I availed myself of the kind invitation of the Reverend Mr. Taylor to visit the agricultural establishment and school at Waimati, belonging to the Church of England mission, at that time under his care, and which I was very desirous to see, on account of the well-known and highly-interesting accounts which have been given by earlier visitors to New Zealand of that valuable establishment for the improvement of the agricultural, as well as religious, condition of the natives.

Accompanied by Commanders Crozier and Sulivan and Lieutenant Bird, I left the Erebus in charge of Lieutenant Sibbald, at noon, on the 1st of November; the morning was beautifully fine, and perfectly calm, until 6 A.M., when an unfavourable change took place as we entered the river "Keri Keri," (pronounced Kiddi Kiddi,) a fresh opposing wind sprung up with occasional heavy showers of rain and violent squalls, as if to remind us of the appropriate name of the river, "Keri," meaning boisterous. After pulling for three hours against the breeze, but favoured by the tide, we gained the missionary settlement, near the lower falls of the Keri Keri, where it divides into two branches, without our boat grounding upon any of the sandbanks with which it abounds.

FALLS OF THE KERI KERI.

1841.

The establishment here consists of a spacious strong-built stone warehouse, in which the stores and merchandise belonging to the missionaries are kept in safety. It is situated in one of the prettiest spots of the country, though entirely bare of wood, except only a few peach, pear, apple, and other fruit trees in the garden belonging to the house, and at the highest point of the river to which vessels can ascend.

We were very kindly received by Mr. Kemp, the schoolmaster, the only European resident at the place, and who had been a great many years in the country. He had heard of my intended visit, and had a guide ready to take us to the upper falls, which he told us were well worthy of our attention. Whilst our people were making preparation for our march to Waimati, we crossed to the opposite bank of the river, not exceeding twenty or thirty yards wide: the shore rises abruptly from the water about seventy feet, and after gaining the level country, covered with short fern, and heath-like plants, but totally destitute of trees, we walked above a mile and a half before we reached the falls. Their first appearance is very striking, the rapid stream which the eye may trace winding several miles along the extensive plain, precipitates a broad sheet of water over an escarpment of black basaltic columns about seventy feet high into a deep circular basin, whose shores are thickly wooded. A narrow winding path enables you, without difficulty, to descend to its margin, and

FALLS OF THE KERI KERI.

1841.

however beautiful the effect is in looking from above into the depth below, the fall is seen to much greater advantage from beneath. The height and volume of water which is projected over the cliff, roaring and foaming, contrasts strongly with the black columns and the varied foliage of the dark green Coprosma, the lighter glaucous Lauri, and other trees which derive freshness and vigour from the constant supply of moisture from the thin mist that always fills the valley. The basin appears to have been worn to a considerable depth, as is also the narrow channel which conveys the pure and bright water from it to the sea.

Some of our officers who visited these falls passed under them, between the volume of water and the vertical columns, where the much-lamented Cunningham is said to have collected several very curious plants. We could not afford time to do so. I am therefore the more glad to avail myself of some notes by Mr. M'Cormick on the curious cave he examined, and some other geological and general remarks made during his several short excursions into the country which will be found in the Appendix. When Dr. Hooker visited these falls, the day was bright, and he was much struck with the great difference of temperature, as measured by the feelings, on descending from the plain, where he stood exposed to the full force of the sun's rays, into the damp woods from which they are entirely excluded; he also described a phenomenon, which, though common to waterfalls, here produces

ROAD TO WAIMATI.

1841.

a remarkable effect; when the sun shines brightly, a beautiful rainbow of intensely brilliant colours, spans the dark abyss, mingling its bright hues with the rich foliage of the encircling banks.

We returned to our people, who had, during our absence, got all ready for our journey; the boat's crew of eight men, carried our tents, blankets, and a small flat punt, constructed of bullocks' hides by Lieutenant M'Murdo, for duck shooting over the mud flats up the Kawa Kawa, very light and capable of carrying two men in smooth water. As one of our purposes was to fish an extensive lake near Waimati, I thought it would be useful, and a larger boat would have been too heavy for our party to manage. Mr. Taylor had sent a horse to carry our small-sized seine, but the animal was so restive that we found it impossible to fix this novel kind of burthen on his back, and were obliged to leave it to be sent for after our arrival at Waimati.

The unusual appearance of our party, the officers in advance with their double-barrelled fowling pieces, specimen baskets, and various instruments for measuring the elevation and position of the several places we proposed visiting, followed by the crew carrying the boat and other necessary materials, on bearing poles, attracted the attention, and not unfrequently the ridicule, of the natives we met on our journey. We kept along the main road nearly the whole distance. It is, indeed, the only thing that deserves the name of a road in New

KAUDI GUM.

1841.

Zealand, and was formed by the missionaries a few years ago, for more ready communication between their two principal establishments: and at this time the greater part of it was in very good condition, so that a carriage might have been driven along it.

On ascending about two hundred feet rather abruptly from the river, we came upon a long tract of level country, covered with low stunted brushwood, amongst which many beautiful flowers were beginning to appear. The soil is extremely poor and unproductive; a large portion of the surface being occupied by reedy marshes, not more than one or two feet deep, lying upon dense clay. I was told that the whole of this extensive plain was at one time covered with an immense forest of Kaudi trees (Dammara australis), and the gum which exudes from them may be found in any part by digging for it. There are, however, no other remains of the trees to be found, from which circumstance it has been supposed that the forest was burnt down; a method frequently adopted for clearing the land when wanted for cultivation, and which would, in some measure, account for the gum being found in such very large pieces; in no other way can we explain how the gum should be there, and yet the absence of any trunks or roots of the trees, together with the extreme poverty of the soil, are facts barely reconcilable with the former existence of a large forest. It would be worth while to dig to a good depth at

KAUDI GUM.

1841.

some of the spots where the gum is found in the greatest abundance, for we may conclude from the resinous nature of the wood the fire might eat its way down considerably beneath the surface, and a knowledge of that fact would of itself be an interesting circumstance. The gum is an article of extensive commercial importance; it is purchased chiefly by the Americans at the rate of a penny the pound, but the purpose to which it is applied by them is still a secret.

For the first four or five miles the country was equally monotonous and sterile; although I have no doubt it might, under cultivation, be made good pasture land, yet it would require great labour, which is not to be obtained here, and without it no considerable improvement can be expected. The natives we met on the road generally greeted us with the friendly and cheerful salutation of the country, "Tene-ra-ka-koa," the equivalent to "How do you do?" or "good morning," and seemed greatly amused at our imperfect pronunciation of the word; in most cases they had a kind look and hearty shake of the hand ready for us; indeed this latter practice seems to have entirely taken the place of their former method of greeting by touching noses, as is still practised by the Esquimaux of the Arctic regions.

We had at that time little reason to apprehend that these apparently peaceful and happy people were so soon to feel all the horrors of war. Yet it was along this road that the brave little band of

HEKI'S PAH.

1841.

soldiers and sailors, under the gallant Despard, marched to attack the rebellious Heki, in his hitherto esteemed impregnable Pah, distant between four and five miles from Waimati, which fell and was destroyed by the persevering bravery of our united-service force under his skilful command. It was fortunate for our brave countrymen they had a road by which to transport their artillery even thus far towards the scene of action; but I fear it will teach the "Maories" to erect their fortifications on situations inaccessible to cannon, by which alone they can be destroyed, as every attempt at scaling their outworks must inevitably end in disappointment and defeat.

We got the first sight of Waimati when at a distance of four miles from it, just before reaching the valley through which the river of that name flows. We crossed the stream by a neat wooden bridge, and at a short distance beyond we observed a most strange-looking lofty building or scaffolding, evidently erected with great labour, in a succession of terraces or platforms to the height of more than a hundred feet. It was situated close by a small native village, on a level space, surrounded by hills of small elevation, whose sides were thickly clothed with timber.

We were at a loss to conjecture for what purpose such a structure could have been erected; but we subsequently learned from Mr. Taylor, that it was built on the occasion of a great feast which was given by the now notorious Heki to a number of natives whom he had called together from all

HEKl'S FEAST.

1841.

parts of the island, when the several stages or platforms were loaded with various kinds of provisions, consisting of Indian corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pigs, cockles, and all kinds of eatables for their use, being placed there for safety; each platform being cleared off as required.

It is said that upwards of a thousand natives assembled at the feast, the principal object of which was to afford Heki 8 the opportunity of dissuading his countrymen from selling their lands to the English.

He had been converted to Christianity several years ago, is well acquainted with the precious truths of the Gospel, and exemplary in the discharge of all religious duties. He has ever lived on good terms with the missionaries, although he has never concealed his growing hatred to the invaders of his country. He is a turbulent, courageous man, possessing a remarkable mixture of cunning and frankness, all of which characters are occasionally expressed in his countenance, notwithstanding the tattooing which disfigures his features. Ever since this patriotic feast he has been regarded as the greatest enemy of the English. The whole of the provisions which were consumed during the week or ten days it lasted were purchased by Heki; but of which he, as is the custom of the country, did not partake; his

WAIMATI.

1841.

part of the business being to mix with the different groups, addressing each in their turn, and seeing that they all enjoyed themselves. We could not help thinking that the provisions might have been equally well secured upon a less elaborate and expensive structure.

After crossing the river we observed a marked change in the geological structure of the country, from a sterile pipe-clay to a richer decomposed volcanic matter at the surface, densely compressed beneath, and mixed with mica, hornblende and quartz, which had perhaps at one time been a hard granite rock, and if exposed to great heat and pressure, might again become so. Ascending the steep hill on the opposite side of the valley the increased fertility of the soil was strikingly manifest, and on reaching its summit the neat-looking village, and the church with its conspicuous steeple, came in view; the houses of the missionaries, built quite in the English style, together with the well-cultivated farms and fields, divided by hedgerows of true English green, formed a most gratifying sight, and reminded us more of our own country than anything we had seen in other parts of the colony.

We were received on our arrival, early in the afternoon, by Mr. and Mrs. Taylor in the most cordial manner, and after doing justice to an excellent dinner they had prepared for us, we walked through the gardens, in which we found abundance of delicious strawberries and other fruits of our own country mingled with those of the tropical

WAIMATI.

1841.

regions. The gardens were laid out with good taste, and, although convenience and usefulness had been more especially consulted, yet neatness and regularity of appearance had not been overlooked. To us it was most delightful to see in this far-distant land so great a variety of plants common to our own country, recalling many happy associations of by-gone days, and the exciting thoughts of future hope which arose in our minds were by no means the least pleasurable emotions we experienced as we wandered through these beautiful gardens.

It was a fine serene evening, and our observations for the position of this spot and its elevation above the level of the sea were satisfactorily accomplished. The temperature of the air was 70 deg.5, that of the water in a well fifty-six feet deep, but with only nine feet of water in it, was 59 deg.

As our absence from the ships was limited to a few days, Mr. Taylor kindly undertook to arrange our operations, so as to enable us to visit the several places we wished with as little loss of time as possible. There was the great lake to be fished; then to be crossed and sounded, and the deep fissures in the mountain on the opposite shore to be examined and fathomed; the highest mountain in the neighbourhood, Puki Nui, to be ascended, and its height determined; the large crater to be explored, and the hot springs to be visited. All these objects, of great interest to us, except the two former, were placed in different directions, and at a considerable distance from Waimati, and as all had

LAKE MAPERE.

1841.

to be accomplished on foot, because our instruments might sustain injury from the jolting of a horse, and were too valuable to be trusted to any other hands, it required all the consideration of some one well acquainted with the country, and with our powers of enduring the fatigue of travelling along the narrow native paths, to dispose of our time to the best advantage.

We agreed first to visit the Lake Mapere at Mawe, and having sent our people off early the next morning with the small boat and seine, we started at 9 A.M., and after half an hour's smart walking were obliged to take shelter from a very heavy fall of rain in a small neat chapel which the Christian natives had themselves built of wood in one of their stone pahs, and in which, Mr. Taylor informed us, one of the native schoolmasters read the church service twice every Sunday. Some of the cottages were remarkably clean and tidy, and their gardens, containing peach trees and the Cape gooseberry, in much better order than we had seen in other places. At a distance of five or six miles from Waimati, after passing through a difficult marshy jungle, we arrived at the edge of the lake.

It is a fine sheet of water, between two and three miles in diameter, or perhaps more, and thickly wooded to the water's edge. It is said to be very shallow, and there are many superstitious traditions regarding its origin, too idle and absurd to be mentioned; yet it seems certain that it covers the

LAKE MAPERE.

1841.

sites of several native villages, whose names are spoken of as of no very distant date, and we have every reason to believe that the face of this land, and especially in this neighbourhood, has been much altered by volcanic disturbances, of which the extensive and numerous smaller craters, the cleft mountain, and the thermal springs are so many striking evidences. Although we were told that the lake is very shallow, yet on this point we may have been mistaken, as I perceive Dr. Dieffenbach, in speaking of it, says it is about one square mile and a half in extent, and apparently of great depth: in some places its borders are steep, and consist of basaltic lavas. It is, perhaps, an old crater: and indeed there is a tradition amongst the natives, that a large village with its inhabitants was suddenly engulphed during an earthquake. 9

The net was prepared and laid out by the assistance of a native canoe, which fortunately happened to be near the spot to which our guide had taken us. The first haul, in which we were assisted by the natives, gave us nothing but roots and limbs of trees, to their great amusement, and our net was very much torn: this occupied us some time to repair, when we moved to a more clear-looking space; but here we were almost equally unsuccessful, a few mussels and some very small fish, (valuable additions, however, to our collection of natural history,) were all we procured. The natives of the neighbourhood, who had collected in consi-

LAKE MAPERE.

1841.

derable numbers, seemed greatly to enjoy our disappointment, and but for the presence of Mr. Taylor would doubtless have proved troublesome. They were very jealous of our going there to fish, and, probably alluding to the large supplies we had obtained for our crews in the various coves of the bay, sneeringly asked us, "If we were not satisfied with the fish of the sea?"

They had, no doubt, purposely taken us to those parts of the lake most difficult to fish with a seine, and at first laughed heartily, and, as we thought, goodnaturedly, at our ill-success; but when they saw we were not at all disconcerted at their merriment, but replied to their jokes, they began to manifest some degree of ill-humour, for they could perceive that we in our fun had turned them rather into ridicule, which of all things, I afterwards learned, they are least able to bear. Eels are said to be large and numerous in the lake, but are only taken at night, by means of ingeniously contrived baskets, something like those employed on our own and the Norwegian coasts for catching lobsters: not having caught any, we bought a few from the natives, which answered their purpose and ours equally well.

We were prevented crossing the lake to the cleft mountain by a strong breeze arising, and rendering the passage in our little punt too dangerous and tedious, as it could only carry two, and it would have occupied the whole of the remainder of the day to get our party across. At the sug-

PUKI NUI.

1841.

gestion, therefore, of Mr. Taylor, we abandoned this object, which we could not have satisfactorily accomplished, and made up our minds to ascend the Puki Nui mountain, which was well within our reach. Our barometrical observations gave the elevation of Lake Mapere above the level of the sea seven hundred and eight feet, whilst that of Waimati was only six hundred and twenty-three feet.

We reached the summit of Puki Nui at a quarter past three in the afternoon, and were richly rewarded for our labour, as it afforded us a complete view of the whole of the surrounding country. The mountain itself is a volcanic vent towering high above all the others, and commanding from its top a view of the sea on each side of the island. The weather was beautifully clear, and the heads or entrance of the harbour of Hokianga were clearly visible. Mr. Taylor informed me that the chief establishment of the Wesleyan missionaries is at this place: these pious men followed soon after the Church of England missionaries had established themselves amongst the natives, and like them their beneficent labours have been abundantly blessed.

From this point also we could much better perceive and understand the great improvement in cultivation of the soil by the Christian natives than any description could have afforded us: before the introduction of the gospel of peace, they were compelled by the hostility or ambitious avarice of neighbouring tribes to live congregated together

CULTIVATED VALLEY.

1841.

in fortified places, or pahs, as they are called, and of which vestiges were still to be seen on the top of almost every hill in the country; the cultivation of the Kumara, or sweet potato, upon which they principally lived, being confined to the sides of the hill, or seldom extending beyond the valley. Since, however, peace has been preached and war has ceased to be their chief occupation, we find them dispersing in small groups over the more fertile parts of the land, building detached cottages or small villages, and living in a degree of comfort and security to which they were formerly strangers, and of which they seem fully to appreciate the advantage. Nearly the whole of the extensive valley which we now saw under cultivation, and which so greatly excited our interest, was once the scene of some of the horrible and barbarous deeds, and at a later date the refuge, of the detestable Shoongi. The atrocities of this savage chief have rendered his name execrable amongst his countrymen, and serve to show in a striking manner how impolitic and improper it was to place so superior a power in the hands of a wretch who seems to have possessed no other feeling than that of vengeance and thirst for the blood of his former conquerors, and of which he let no opportunity pass of gratifying.

Our observations gave the height of Puki Nui one thousand two hundred and forty feet above the level of the sea. The highest range of mountains in sight to the southward is called by the natives

LAKES AT TAIAMI.

1841.

Ikorangi, or "Fish of Heaven," but we had no means of measuring their elevation. The highest land to the north is called by them Maunga Taniwa, of which I did not learn the meaning. We descended the hill, and arrived in the evening at Waimati, after a fatiguing day's work.

We again set out at an early hour the next morning for the hot springs, at Taiami, called Tuakino: our road lay over a hilly and barren country, of which the most remarkable feature is the three volcanic conical hills which stand in the middle of an extensive depression of the table land, and of which Dr. Dieffenbach has given an account in his travels in New Zealand. 10 After three hours' laborious walking we reached the first lake, shortly before noon, and halted to obtain observations for latitude. The temperature of the lake was 62 deg., that of the air being at the time 60 deg. It is about half a mile in diameter; on its shores we observed numerous charred stems of trees, and near its centre a large flock of ducks, probably feeding on a small kind of fish, of which we saw a great many. Some pieces of pure sulphur were picked up along the margin of the lake.

The temperature of the smaller lake, near which are the hot springs, at only a short distance from the former, was found to be 65 deg.7, and that of the gaseous jets or bubbles that are continually rising in it 66 deg. Numerous holes had been dug, in

HOT SPRINGS OF TUAKINO.

1841.

the clay soil through which the hot sulphureous water issues, by the natives who had visited this spot for the benefit of the waters, which are considered an efficacious remedy for all cutaneous and scrofulous diseases, with which the New Zealanders are so much afflicted, that few of them are without strong marks of the latter on the glands of the throat.

The temperature of these holes varied from 150 deg. to 80 deg., in proportion to the length of time they had been dug, the heat passing away gradually after exposure to the atmosphere. We had provided ourselves with the means of digging fresh holes, and these we found also to vary considerably in temperature, although quite close to each other. The hottest, of eight or ten that we dug, was 179 deg., and in this we cooked some eggs which we had brought with us for the purpose, and served to form part of our luncheon, although their shells were deeply stained with the sulphur. As Dr. Dieffenbach truly remarks, the surrounding country, especially to the southward, has to a singular degree the barren and desolate aspect so often observed in places celebrated for their salubrious mineral waters. Scarcely any verdure is to be seen on the hills of the neighbourhood: it is only in the ravines that the uniform brown tint of stunted fern is interrupted by the green of some sheltered groves.

Whenever this country shall have become thickly populated with Europeans, these springs will become of equal importance to the colonists with the most

RETURN TO THE EREBUS.

1841.

celebrated baths of our own country or the spas of Germany.

Their elevation above the level of the sea is six hundred and forty-eight feet by barometrical measurement. We remained so long at this place, that we had hardly time to get back to Waimati before dark.

As the weather was very unfavourable the next day for making further excursions in the neighbourhood, we prepared to return to the ship, being unwilling to prolong our absence beyond the time I had at first proposed, upon the uncertainty of fine weather succeeding; and we had yet some important objects to accomplish before leaving New Zealand. We therefore took leave of the kind friends whose hospitality and attentions had afforded us three days of most agreeable relaxation from our severe duties, and returning to the Keri Keri by the road we came, we embarked in our boat, and arrived on board the Erebus early in the afternoon.

On the 20th of October the French corvette Heroine anchored off Kororarika, and I had the pleasure of receiving a visit from her commander, Captain L'Eveque. He informed me that they had experienced some very severe weather off the south coast of New Holland, and that his crew was in a sickly state. He had touched here for fresh provisions, and was on his way to Port Akaroa, in Banks' Peninsula, where a number of settlers from France had gone last year to form a colony, but found on

FRENCH COLONISTS AT AKAROA.

1841.

their arrival there that it had been taken possession of a few days previously by the English. They were not allowed by the English authorities to build any fortifications, or land their guns or munitions of war, beyond what were absolutely necessary for personal protection; and were at this time getting on prosperously under the protection of the British flag. The next day Commander Crozier and I returned Captain L'Eveque's visit; and on acquainting him with my intention to visit the Chatham Islands, he very kindly furnished me with a more accurate plan of them than any with which we had been supplied.

We owe this valuable survey to the diligence and research of his predecessor in command of the Heroine, Captain Cecille, whilst employed in the protection of the French ships engaged in the whale fishery. The islands were almost entirely unknown to us, no British man-of-war having been there since their discovery by Lieutenant Broughton, in the Chatham, tender to the Investigator, in November, 1791, after his separation from his commodore, the justly celebrated navigator Vancouver. 11

Captain Cecille had been induced to visit the islands by hearing from the master of an American whaler, who had recently been there, that a French vessel, the Jean Bart, had been captured and de-

FRENCH CORVETTE HEROINE.

1841.

stroyed by the natives, and the crew inhumanly murdered.

His chief object, therefore, in going there was, in his own words, "pour venger sur les insulaires le massacre de nos compatriots;" and also to afford relief to any of the crew that might by possibility have escaped to some of the contiguous islets. On his arrival at the great western bay of the island, he found the accounts he had received were but too true; the remains of the burnt ship were still to be seen, and one of her boats was recovered, but he could not hear anything of the crew, nor whether any of them had escaped in the boats of the ship. Although his arrangements appear to have been made with the greatest judgment, yet he did not succeed in securing the principal actors in this dreadful tragedy. He, however, landed a large force, and totally destroyed their pahs or strongholds, and burnt as many of their boats as he could find, thus depriving them of the power of attacking any other vessel. He succeeded also in decoying one of their principal chiefs, named Eitouna, and two of his people on board, whom he kept as prisoners, and from whom he derived the following information respecting the circumstances which led to the unfortunate collision with the New Zealanders.

The Jean Bart arrived at Chatham Island early in May, and before she gained the anchorage several canoes belonging to the two tribes of New Zealanders who had possessed themselves of the island went alongside. It was about 2 P.M. when

FRENCH WHALER JEAN BART.

1841.

the ship anchored in the small bay of Wai-Tangui, upon the shores of which the tribe of Eitouna were established. The captain, frightened at seeing so many savages on board, desired the chiefs to send them on shore. Eitouna gave orders to his people to leave: many obeyed, others remained to make some exchanges with the sailors: all the people of Eimare, the chief of the other tribe, also remained on board, so that there were still seventy to seventy-five of them left in the ship. The captain, not thinking himself safe, prepared immediately to quit the bay, and refused to read some certificates that Eitouna presented to him to inspire him with confidence.

Eitouna and many others were in the cabin of the Jean Bart, when suddenly they heard a great tumult on deck: they immediately endeavoured to make their way up the ladder, when a wounded New Zealander fell from the deck amongst them.; they then returned into the cabin to conceal themselves when the skylight was immediately removed; and Eitouna said they tried to kill them with lances and spades, which they thrust into all parts of the cabin; many of those in the cabin were wounded, some were killed: they looked about for some arms to defend themselves, and found a double-barrelled gun and some pistols in the captain's cabin, but these being percussion, and having no caps, they were useless to them. At length they found some muskets and cartridges, with which they killed two of the seamen. The sky-

FRENCH WHALER JEAN BART.

1841.

light was instantly put on again, and fastened down by the people on deck, and soon afterwards all was silent. Eitouna supposes that the captain and crew became alarmed when they found the New Zealanders in possession of fire-arms, and had barricaded all the hatchways, to gain time to get out their boats and make their escape; for when he and his party eventually got upon deck, there was no one to be seen. He stated that twenty-eight of their men and one woman were killed, and twenty others wounded. He believes that the attack was provoked by the people of Eimare's pah, who wished to get possession of some articles which the seamen endeavoured to prevent; he said, also, that had it not been for the fire-arms they found, the French would have put them all to death. The fight lasted from two hours after sunset until two o'clock in the morning.

Captain Cecille had learned at the Bay of Islands that the pahs of Chatham Island were placed beyond the reach of the guns of a vessel at the anchorage; he made his dispositions accordingly, and landed a large force the day after his arrival. The party met with no resistance: all the pahs were abandoned; they saw a few of the New Zealanders, who fled into the woods, where it was neither prudent nor possible to follow them. The fortifications were entirely destroyed by fire, as well as some large canoes: they also found several articles that had belonged to the French whaler, and one of her boats, which was launched and taken on

EITOUNA.

1841.

board the Heroine. By four o'clock in the afternoon there remained of all their extensive establishment, of a quarter of a league in length, and which was pallisaded throughout, nothing but a heap of ashes.

In the mean time Eitouna had been a prisoner on board two days in the greatest uneasiness: he inquired frequently when they would put him to death. Not willing to prolong this mental torture, Captain Cecille acquainted him that he and his two companions should remain prisoners in the vessel, and be taken to France, when the King would decide their fate.

They soon became reconciled to their situation; and Captain Cecille having satisfied himself that Eimare and his people were the aggressors, he contrived to open a communication with the people of Eitouna's tribe, and succeeded so far in assuring them of their safety from any further punishment, that several of them came on board to take leave of their chief.

After having landed on another part of the island, and destroyed some more pahs and canoes belonging to Eimare's tribe, he visited Pitt Island, under the impression that as only one of the boats of the Jean Bart was to be found, it was very probable that those which were missing had been taken by the survivors of the crew, in which they might have sought a place of safety upon this contiguous islet. Eitouna appeared also to have been of the same opinion. But as all their searches

INHABITANTS OF CHATHAM ISLAND.

1841.

after them proved fruitless, it is most likely that those who escaped the assault of the New Zealanders perished in their attempt to reach New South Wales, or were murdered by the savages that inhabit Pitt Island.

As Captain Cecille's observations and description of Chatham Island and its anchorages may prove useful to our whalers or other vessels that may have occasion to touch there, I have given them in the Appendix to this volume, being the best information we at present possess.

The people with whom the French had been engaged, were not the aborigines of the island, but part of a large number of New Zealanders who had been taken to the island in an English vessel, the Lord Rodney, amounting to between four and five hundred, whom the inhabitants of the island, of about an equal number, allowed quietly to settle there. A scarcity of provisions soon followed their arrival, when the New Zealanders fell upon the aborigines, and killed above two hundred for food: the rest they reduced to slavery.

The present population consists chiefly of inhabitants of East Cape and Port Nicholson, and a few turbulent natives of Teranaki. They arrived at Chatham Island, under the command of Hepatou. Since his death, in 1836, they divided into two tribes: the one staid at Wangaroa, under Eimare, the other established itself at Wai Tangui, with Eitouna, as its chief. Chatham Island is called

CHATHAM ISLAND.

1841.

Wairi Kaori (large mountain) by its New Zealand inhabitants. It is very fertile, and the potatoes grown there are of a very superior quality. Corn has not succeeded, in consequence of the great number of parroquets which destroy it before it is ripe. An Englishman of the name of Coffee, who had lived five years on the island, had never seen any ice there, but remembers the occurrence of a single fall of snow.

The Heroine had been again sent to these seas for the protection of French whaling vessels, and to prevent a fraud which they had extensively practised. The French government had lately offered a bounty for the encouragement of the whale fishery, and the reward was granted in proportion to the success of the vessel. But the object for which it was intended was entirely defeated, for instead of capturing the whales themselves, they purchased oil from the American and English whalers, and, carrying it home, received the bounty, as if it had been the produce of their own skill and enterprize. From Captain L'Eveque I also received a chart of the discoveries of Admiral d'Urville in the southern seas, which I had not before seen. On quitting the Heroine, we were honoured by a salute of eleven guns, which was returned with an equal number by the Erebus. After remaining two or three days at anchor off Kororarika, the Heroine sailed, on a favourable, breeze arising, for Akaroa.

During the whole period of our stay in the river

FISH OF THE BAY OF ISLANDS.

1841.

Kawa Kawa, our crews were abundantly supplied with excellent fish, which the numerous creeks and small beaches around the shores of the bay and river afforded. The more delicious of these were the John Doree (Zeus Australia) and the red mullet; the largest, a kind of mackarel, called yellow tail, and sometimes cavallo, though coarse, was found to be very good eating. Of the last we caught several in the seine, three feet nine inches in length, and weighing nearly fifty pounds: the soles, though small, are very good, and the plaice of large size are equal in flavour to the Dutch fish: the Barracouta is caught in the proper season, which had not arrived before we quitted the place. Sharks of a formidable size are numerous, and of these several new species were captured by us: they are described, together with the rest of our extensive collection of other kinds of fish, by Dr. Richardson, in the zoology of the voyage, amongst which are many genera and species hitherto wholly unknown: his account of them will, I have no doubt, prove a valuable addition to our knowledge of the finny tribes of the southern seas. A description of the birds we collected at New Zealand, will be published in the same work, by Mr. George Robert Gray, of the British Museum.

Our crews maintained very good health, so that it was seldom we had any one of them in the sick report, and then, generally, only for some trifling accidental hurt: but we had the misfortune to lose one of our shipmates, and in him one of

DEATH OF GEORGE BARKER.

1841.

our best men, George Barker, marine, who was drowned by the upsetting of a boat.

The proper season for renewing the exploration of the Antarctic Regions being now near at hand, we concluded the hourly magnetometrical observations at the end of the month of October; and the absolute determination of the three magnetic elements was obtained in the course of three or four following days. The observatories and instruments were re-embarked, and our ships prepared for sea by the middle of November.

The Favourite had been despatched to Sydney at the request of Sir George Gipps, who was desirous of visiting Norfolk Island, to inquire into the cause of the insubordination reported to prevail there; but events having since occurred which rendered his visit unnecessary, and therefore not requiring her services, she returned to New Zealand, where her presence was more likely to be useful, bringing us letters from England, and some stores which we had omitted to get before our departure from Sydney. During this short cruize she was found to be so leaky that it became necessary to make a thorough survey of her condition: Commander Crozier, and the other officers who had been appointed to assist him in this duty, reported that the leak was occasioned by the copper being very much worn away, and by the oakum having worked out of the seams in several places. As it was not possible to get at the leaks without heaving the ship down, I directed Commander

NAVAL FORCE NECESSARY.

1841.

Sulivan to proceed to Auckland; and if Governor Hobson, who had by this time returned from the southern settlements, did not require her for any urgent or immediate service, I recommended him to go direct to Port Arthur in Van Diemen's Land, and there make all necessary repairs, and thoroughly refit her in readiness for any service that might be required, as, from her being the only man-of-war on the station, it was the more necessary that she should be immediately brought into an efficient state.

The want of a sufficient naval force for the protection of the numerous colonies that Great Britain has recently established in this quarter of the world, has been a just cause of complaint, and has occasioned pressing representations on the subject to the home government by the successive governors, but without any effect. Indeed, it is difficult, almost impossible, to keep the colonies regularly visited by ships from the East India station, to which they at present belong, and which is too remote to admit of provision being made for the many contingencies that arise. It is therefore desirable that a distinct naval command should be formed, and consist of several ships. Sydney should be the head-quarters of the commodore of the squadron, and the vessels belonging to it might be sent to each of the other colonies in turn, and by maintaining a zealous and cordial co-operation between the naval force and the respective governments, inspire a feeling of security and confidence amongst the

NAVAL FORCE NECESSARY.

1841.

settlers, and prevent hostile attacks from the natives. One of the vessels should occasionally visit the Friendly, Society, and Feejee Islands, for the encouragement and protection of British subjects engaged in commercial pursuits, and for the purpose of strengthening the now existing friendly disposition of their inhabitants towards Great Britain. Frequent disputes occur between the masters and crews of whaling and other merchant ships in those remote regions, where an appeal to the captain of a man-of-war would be generally more effectual, and more satisfactory to both parties, than the interference of the civil authority, for which seamen, in general, have very little respect or fear, especially in the newly-established colonies, where there is seldom sufficient power to enforce the laws, and where there is usually a great dislike to meddle in nautical matters, which are generally but little understood.

In the various groups of islands of the Pacific, mutinies, piracies, and other disgraceful proceedings are but of too frequent occurrence, to the degradation of our national character, which even the expected arrival of a man-of-war would sometimes prevent, and her presence would always check or rectify such reprehensible irregularities. In the course of our voyage, I had several times occasion to put matters to rights between the master and the crew of merchant vessels, and restore harmony and good feeling, which could not have been accomplished by any other means, al-

RESULT OF OBSERVATIONS.

1841.

though, be it remembered, I had no legal authority to interfere beyond giving my advice to the parties concerned, except only in extreme cases; but by pointing out the consequences that would result to them, and the penalties to which they were rendering themselves liable by their improper proceedings, I always accomplished my object.

The result of our observations gave the latitude of the place of the observatories 35 deg. 17' 46".6 S., longitude 174 deg. 8' 22".7 E.; the mean magnetic dip between the 23rd of August and 25th October, 59 deg. 33'S., the

Variation between 26th and 31st of August, 13 deg. 33' 52.5 E.
1st and 30th of Sept. 13 deg. 34' 54".6
1st and 23rd of Oct. 13 deg. 38' 45".9
and first week of Nov. 13 deg. 40' 50"

showing a gradually increasing easterly variation.

The following are the results of our tidal observations: – a tide gauge was fixed at a convenient distance from the astronomical observatory, and the height of the tide was recorded every quarter of an hour, when near the time of high and low water, or every hour, at other times, day and night between the 14th of September and 19th of November, through a space therefore of two complete lunations, or five periods of full or change of the moon, viz.: –

It was full moon on the 15th September, at 5h 38m A.M.; the following high water occurred at 7h 30m, the amount of rise being then five feet nine inches; the highest and largest tide was the third

TIDES.

1841.

high water after new moon, and the amount of tide six feet ten inches.

October 1st, – Full moon at 3h 55m A.M., high water at 7h 22m A.M., amount of tide five feet two inches; the highest and largest tide being the seventh high water after full moon, and amounted to six feet one inch; the strength of the stream of the flood at the anchorage 0.6 mile per hour, and of the ebb 1.2 mile per hour.

October 15th. – New moon 4h 2m A.M., high water 7h 15m A.M., amount of tide five feet seven and a half inches: largest tide the seventh high water after new moon, being six feet one inch; strength of the flood 1.0, and of the ebb 1.4 mile per hour.

October 30th. – Full moon 5h 33m P.M., high water at 7h 30m, rise of tide five feet six inches, largest tide the sixth after the change of moon, amounted to six feet two inches, stream of flood 1.0 and of the ebb 1.2 mile per hour.

For practical purposes we may therefore assume that the time of high water next after the full and change of the moon takes place at about 7h 22m; that the amount of tide on that day is about five feet six inches; and that the highest tide occurs very irregularly, but may be looked for generally about the fifth or sixth high water after the full or change of the moon, at which time it varies in amount from five feet ten inches to six feet ten inches; and that at the strength of the flood-tide in the middle of the stream, its rate is rather less than one mile, and

TIDES.

1841.

that of the ebb nearly one mile and a quarter per hour; but both are considerably modified by the very heavy rains which occur at this period of the year, and by which the velocity of the ebb tide is much increased, whilst that of the flood proportionally retarded.

On any other day than that of full and change of the moon, the time of high water occurs, on an average, at 7h 22m after the moon passes the meridian.

The state of the tide was registered by the petty officers on duty at the observatory, and the velocity of the stream measured every half hour by one of the quarter-masters of the Erebus, under the direction of the officer of the watch.

I have been the more particular in stating these phenomena of the tides, in consequence of our observations differing widely from those of others who have visited this place. Captain Fitzroy states the time of high water, at full and change, to be 9h 16m, and the amount of tide six feet; and Captain Cecille, who made his observations at Kororarika, states that the establishment of the Port is 5h 40m, and the amount of tide six feet six inches.

8 These feasts, which are called "Hakari" or feasts of peace, are now of but rare occurrence, and not always devoted to their original purpose.

9 Vol. i. p. 244.

10 Vol. i. p. 245.

11 For an interesting account of this discovery of the islands and unfortunate affray with the natives at Skirmish Bay, see Vancouver's Voyage, vol. i. p. 84.

CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.

Outrage at the Bay of Islands. – Sail from New Zealand. – Proposed Whaling Station at Auckland Islands. – Dangerous Reefs. – North-west Reef and Dangers off Chatham Island. – - Nimrod Islands. – Penguins. – Appearance of Land. – Circle of Mean Temperature of the Southern Ocean. – First Iceberg seen. – Focus of Greater Intensity. – Enter the Pack. – Animalculae. – Magnetic Observations on the Ice. – Beset in the Pack. – Meteorological Abstract for December.

CHAPTER V.

1841. Nov. 22.

All our arrangements being completed, the ships were unmoored on the evening of the 22nd of November, in readiness to sail at an early hour the next morning. Late at night Commander Sulivan brought on board a letter he had just received from a surgeon at Kororarika, who held also the office of coroner, stating he had received information that a most atrocious murder had been committed by a party of "Maoris," who, after killing Mrs. Robertson, an European woman, three children, and her man-servant, had set fire to the house; and the inhabitants of the town, being in dread of an immediate attack, requested that an armed force might be landed for their protection. As this application was not backed by the magistrate, although he had been solicited to do so by the constable whom the coroner had charged with the delivery of it, I suspected that he considered their fears groundless. I, however, directed Commander Sulivan to send a strong party immediately to the village to make more particular inquiries into the circumstances, and report to me, without loss of time. Lieutenant Ellerman, to whom this duty was intrusted, returned soon after midnight, and acquainted me that he had found the inhabitants in a state of

MURDER AT BAY OF ISLANDS.

1841.

great excitement and alarm, but that he could not hear that any number of natives had assembled in the neighbourhood, and that many circumstances concurred to show that the murder had been an act of individual vengeance. It did not appear to me necessary to interfere any further; I therefore directed the force to be withdrawn as soon as their fear of an attack had subsided, as the civil authority was sufficiently powerful to arrest the murderer, who, of course, had fled into the bush. The natives had long threatened to repossess themselves of the island which Mrs. Robertson's husband had purchased several years before; for they thought when they sold their land it would again revert to the tribe on the decease of the purchaser. Mr. Robertson was drowned in sight of his own house shortly before this melancholy event, and Mrs. Robertson had the day previous to it attended the Court of the Commissioner for settling the claims to land, and had substantiated her right to the island in question: the murder following so immediately, led to the supposition that the deed had been clone by the tribe who claimed the island, and that they intended to establish their claim by force. But the following account of the horrid tragedy which is given by Mr. Marjoribanks in his recent account of New Zealand, places the event in its true light. He says that Mrs. Robertson, the widow of a Captain Robertson, was a Sydney lady, and resided on one of the numerous islands from which the Bay of Islands derives its name. It had belonged to

MURDER AT BAY OF ISLANDS.

1841.

her husband, and at this time she and her family were the only occupants. She had employed this young chief, who was a remarkably powerful lad, though only sixteen years of age, to assist her white man servant, Thomas Bull, in some of her farming operations; and Thomas having told Mrs. Robertson that the Maori was a lazy fellow, he watched the opportunity, when Thomas was asleep, to split his skull open with an axe. Mrs. Robertson having accidentally happened to come upon him, when in the act of doing so, he judged it advisable to despatch her also with the same instrument, and then the two female children. Mrs. Robertson's son, seeing what was going on, fled to a mountain close by, but the monster overtook him, and threw him headlong over the rock, two hundred feet high, so that he was literally dashed to pieces. One of the children was the grand-daughter of Nene, the great chief of the Ngapuhi tribe, which principally inhabits Kororarika; and her murder, which led to hostilities between Nene and the notorious Heki, was the means of preventing the destruction of the town of Auckland and its inhabitants, which the latter had declared his intention to accomplish, and which even the humane and wise policy of Governor Fitzroy could not have averted.

The murderer, having effected his purpose, set fire to the house in order to conceal the foul deed; and it was seeing it in flames that excited the fears of the inhabitants of Kororarika, and led them to

SAIL FROM NEW ZEALAND.

1841.

believe the whole tribe of "Maoris" was upon them. He was afterwards given up by his father, who dreaded the vengeance of Nene. He was taken to Auckland, tried, condemned, and executed on the 7th of March following, with great formality, being the first execution that had taken place in the colony since the establishment of the British government.

Nov. 23.

At 5 A.M. the following morning, we weighed and made sail out of the harbour, accompanied by the Favourite, until 10 A.M., when she parted company, giving us three cheers. Commander Sulivan proceeded to Auckland, to acquaint Governor Hobson with the murder which had been perpetrated at the Bay of Islands, and to act according to his wishes; for if he should have thought it proper to have taken any measures for the defence of Kororarika, the Favourite could have returned to that place the next day.

As soon as we got clear of the land we shaped our course for Chatham Island, which I was very desirous of visiting, not only for magnetic purposes, but because very little was known of its capabilities for colonisation, or as a whaling station, although for this latter purpose I had no doubt the Auckland Islands would be found far more suitable. I have much pleasure in stating that since the first volume of this narrative was printed, I have learned from good authority that Her Majesty's Government has granted, or engaged to grant, to those truly enterprising

WHALING STATION AT AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

1841.

merchants, the Messrs. Enderby, by whose vessels they were discovered, the exclusive possession of the Auckland Islands; and that it is the intention of those gentlemen to form a company, for the purpose of carrying on from thence the southern whale-fishery. In a national point of view, whether as regards our maritime or commercial ascendency, an undertaking of this nature cannot fail to be of very great importance. Its successful accomplishment would prove the means of effectually restoring a profitable but decayed branch of our maritime trade, and of diverting a large number of our most efficient seamen from the vessels of the United States of America, in which they are now employed. In the whole range of the vast Southern Ocean, no spot could be found combining so completely the essential requisites for a fixed whaling station.

Possessing in themselves the great natural advantages of commodious harbours, a plentiful supply of good water and wood, with a superficies of about one hundred thousand acres, and lying in the vicinity of the Australian and New Zealand colonies, these islands present the greatest facilities for carrying on the southern fishery on the extensive scale, which the Messrs. Enderby contemplate. They are, moreover, situate, as it were, in the heart of the fishery, and in the track of ships returning to England from the Australian and Van Diemen's Land settlements. They are also conveniently placed, in a more

WHALING STATION AT AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

1841.

general point of view, since every vessel in the Pacific must proceed to the southward beyond their latitude, before doubling Cape Horn, on their passage to England or America.

The Americans are fully sensible of the advantageous position of the islands, and frequently visit them for the purposes of refitting or refreshment; they are also resorted to for similar purposes by the whaling ships of France and other nations, whilst they have been hitherto only too much neglected by those of the nation to which they belong.

There is, besides, a further benefit to be anticipated from the islands becoming, as proposed, the future seat of a whaling station, on a systematic plan, which is, that their colonization will grow out of their being so appropriated; and what population could be more fitted to inhabit them than a race of hardy, enterprising British seamen?

This project is not a recent one on the part of the Messrs. Enderby, but was formed by them nearly three years ago, immediately upon the return of our expedition, contingently upon the islands being granted to them by the government; and I most cordially wish them the success their spirited conduct so well deserves.

We had a fine run during the night, and at Nov. 24. noon the following day we were in latitude 36 deg. 27' S. and longitude 177 deg. 34' E. In the evening the land of the East Cape was distinguishable, bearing S. 15 deg. W. (true). I was informed by the master of a schooner belonging to the Church of England

DANGEROUS REEFS.

1841.

Missionaries, who had made frequent visits to Poverty Bay, that there is a dangerous reef eighteen miles off shore, bearing due east by compass from the north head of the bay; it lies in a N. W. and S. E. direction, is three quarters of a mile long, and over it there is only five feet water; the breakers on it may be seen distinctly from the shore. It is a danger not generally known, and, therefore, it is the more necessary to call the attention of seamen to it: when the island is open with the point you are just abreast of the reef, but if shut in on either side, you are clear of it. He also mentioned to me that he had seen another reef due north from the north end of Flat Island, half a mile long, four inches above water at low water spring tides, and distant about eight miles from the land. Neither of these dangers was seen by us, and it is probable that their position is not very accurately determined.

Nov. 25.

During the day we observed many sooty albatross, the dark-coloured and elegant blue petrel, as also the Cape pigeon. At noon we were in lat. 38 deg. 17' S. and long. 179 deg. 51' E., and crossed the meridian of 180 deg. at 2 P.M. Soon after noon the wind veered to the southward, with considerable swell, so that the ship could not lie her course, and made much leeway; the breeze freshening as the evening advanced, and blowing a gale by midnight.

Nov. 25.

Having, by sailing to the eastward, gained twelve hours, it became necessary, on crossing the 180th degree, and entering upon west longitude,

CROSS MERIDIAN OF 180 DEG.

1841. Nov. 25.

in order that our time might correspond with that of England, to have two days following of the same date, and by this means lose the time we had gained and still were gaining, as we sailed to the eastward.

We had, therefore, two Thursdays and two twenty-fifth days of November in succession; so that, after crossing the meridian, and having made the alteration of a day, instead of being twelve hours in advance, we became so much in arrear of the time in England, which would gradually diminish as we pursued our easterly course, until on our return we should find them in exact accordance. Had we not made this alteration, our Christmas-day and New Year's-day would have been one day earlier than in England. It is fortunate we did not cross into west longitude on either of those days, for two such holidays in succession would have been a still more novel circumstance.

The sea exhibited many large luminous patches during last night, and to-day many stormy petrel, and immature birds of the large albatross kind and small dark petrel were numerous.

In the evening the gale abated, but the wind continuing fresh from the southward, we made but small progress; and as the adverse breeze prevailed the whole of the two following days, we

Nov. 27.

found ourselves at noon still a hundred and eighty miles from Chatham Island, being in latitude 39 deg. 16' S., longitude 177 deg. 2' W. At 1 P.M. we tried for soundings, with six hundred fathoms, without striking ground. It was quite calm at the time, so we tried the temperature of the sea, as follows: at

SUDDEN FALL OF TEMPERATURE.

1841.

600 fathoms it was 44 deg.9; at 450 fathoms, 46 deg.8; at 300 fathoms, 49 deg.2: at 150 fathoms, 53 deg.5; and at the surface, 58 deg.; the specific gravity of the surface water, 1.0274; at 150 fathoms, 1.0272, and at 450 fathoms, 1.0268; all tried at the temperature of 60 deg., and showing that the water beneath was specifically lighter than that of the surface, when brought to the same temperature; our almost daily experiments confirmed these results.

Soon afterwards a breeze sprang up from the northward; heavy showers of rain, and a falling barometer, as usual accompanied the northerly wind; but what surprised us was, that the temperature of the air fell in the course of two hours from 63 deg. to 54 deg.; that of the surface of the sea not being altered by the change of wind. It is probable that this effect was produced by the rain having fallen from a great elevation, and therefore of a very low temperature; but it was unfortunately omitted to be noted.

At eight in the evening of the 29th, we were Nov. 29. only fifty miles distant from the Sister Islets, and a reef of rocks which lies about six leagues to the northward of Chatham Island; but as the night was fine and the wind favourable, we continued our course for its N. W. point, named Point Allison, heaving to occasionally to try for soundings, as we approached these dangerous and almost unknown shores.

Thick weather came on during the night, which rendered these precautions the more necessary.

NORTH-WEST REEF.

1841.

We saw large patches of sea-weed; and the number and variety of sea-birds greatly increased. The minute petrel (the equivalent of the little auk of the northern regions, and very like it), as well as the black-backed gull, neither of which are met with far from land, and the long-snouted porpoise, were particularly numerous; one of these creatures was struck with a harpoon, and in its formidable jaws we found the teeth, which the New Zealanders value highly as ornaments, and which had puzzled us greatly to ascertain to what animal they belonged.

Nov. 30.

Shortly before eight in the morning breakers were seen directly ahead of us, and about one mile distant, which obliged us to alter our course slightly to avoid them. These rocks are called the Northwest Reef, and lie about five miles in that direction from the Sister Islets; they cover a space not exceeding fifty yards in diameter, and no part of the rocks could be seen above water. The fog at this time became so thick that we could not see any object at more than half a mile distance; and although we must have passed quite close to the Sister Islets, which are about one hundred feet high, we did not see them. Steering direct for Point Allison, with hopes of the fog clearing away about noon, we found ourselves at that time above three miles to the northward of it, and in half an hour afterwards passed within a mile of it, without being able to distinguish it through the dense fog that prevailed. We had some difficulty in keeping the

DANGERS OFF CHATHAM ISLAND.

1841.

Terror in company, by constantly firing guns; and finding it impossible to make the land, I was unwilling to lose time by waiting for more favourable weather; so, after heaving to for a short time in the afternoon, and sounding in one hundred fathoms, on a bank of greenish sand, we bore away to the south-westward, to get clear of the west reef before dark.

The temperature of the sea at one hundred fathoms on this bank was 50 deg.2, being as low as that at two hundred fathoms in the deep sea of yesterday.

We passed the west reef so near as to hear the roar of the sea breaking over it, but the thick fog prevented our seeing it; and as soon as we got well clear of all the known dangers that surround the Chatham Islands, we steered to the south-eastward, for the purpose of ascertaining a magnetic desideratum of great interest. It was supposed that a second point of greater magnetic intensity would be found in about the lat. 60 deg. S. and long. 125 deg. W., but as our time did not admit of our going to the spot, our course was so directed as to enable us to cross the lines of the Isodynamic oval in such places as should be best calculated to secure its accurate determination.

Dec. l.

The wind prevailed from the N. E., but the foggy weather continued the greater part of the next day. Our observations at noon placed us in lat. 45 deg. 40' S., long. 176 deg. 41' W., by which also we found that we had been carried S. 8 deg. W. twenty-

NIMROD ISLANDS.

1841.

eight miles by a current, the greater part of which I have no doubt occurred as we passed along the west side of the Chatham Islands, where we observed, in many places, strong ripples and whirls of tide.

Many patches of seaweed were passed during the day, and the albatross and several small kinds of petrel played about us in great numbers.

Dec. 2.

It was a beautiful day, the wind fresh from the N. E.; and again we found the current had carried us twenty miles in a S. 4 deg. W. direction. In the afternoon we passed a wicker basket and several small pieces of wood, from which we concluded that we were crossing the track of some vessel homeward bound from Tasmania.

Diverted from our proper course by the N. E. wind, we gradually approached the supposed locality of a small group of islands called the Nimrods, but as they have been searched for so often without success, I should have looked for them rather to the east or west of their presumed position, had the wind suited, and far from the tracks of other navigators; but my purpose was defeated by adverse circumstances of wind and weather, so that we could not get within two hundred miles of their assigned place. Dec. 3. Several sperm whales were seen this morning, and during the night we had observed a great number of luminous patches, and some very large pyrosoma were taken in the towing net: a boat was lowered in the afternoon to try the current,

TEMPERATURE OF THE OCEAN.

1841.

whilst making the usual experiments on the temperature of the sea; it was found to be setting to the southward (true), nine miles in the twenty-four hours. Some pieces of seaweed, with barnacles attached to them, were brought on board. The barometer attained the unusual height of 30.45 inches, with a moderate N. E. wind and overcast sky. At night the cry of penguins was heard, and again the luminous patches in the sea were numerous and brilliant.

Dec. 4.

This morning we had a very light breeze from the N. E., and towards noon it fell perfectly calm, with the surface of the ocean beautifully smooth; thus affording a most favourable opportunity of trying its temperature at a great depth. A new line had been prepared for the purpose, and thermometers were attached to it at intervals of one hundred and fifty fathoms: we had no soundings with eleven hundred fathoms, and beyond this I did not venture to send the thermometers. In hauling the line in it broke, and two of the new thermometers which had been sent out to me for the purpose of deep sounding, were lost; we had still three others left, and the opportunity was too good to be lost, notwithstanding this accident. Another line was immediately prepared, and the thermometers which were sent down to a thousand and fifty fathoms came up again quite safe, after sustaining such enormous pressure, and recording the temperature at that deep region of the ocean to be exactly 40 deg., or thirteen degrees below that of the surface. The tem-

PENGUINS.

1841.

perature at the intermediate depths was as follows: at 900 fathoms, 40 deg.2; at 750 fathoms, 41 deg.; at 600 fathoms, 42 deg.2; at 450 fathoms, 44 deg.5; and at 150 fathoms, 48 deg.7: so that the mean temperature of the ocean is at least nine hundred fathoms below the surface in latitude, 49 deg. 17' S., and longitude, 172 deg. 28' W.

These experiments, which had occupied us about five hours, were hardly completed, when a breeze sprang up from the northward, before which we made all sail. Sperm whales, patches of sea-weed, and flocks of penguins, were seen in such abundance, that I was in great hopes of meeting with land. Although we did not see any, I think it not improbable that some small islands may be eventually found in this neighbourhood, however much the great depth of the sea may seem to militate against the supposition. The penguins were all going to the eastward, and I have no doubt proceeding to their breeding quarters, perhaps to the Nimrod Islands. It is a wonderful instinct, far beyond the powers of untutored reason, that enables these creatures to find their way, chiefly under water, several hundred miles, to their place of usual resort, as each succeeding spring season of the year arrives.

Dec. 5.

Another most beautiful day. A large shoal of the bottle-nose whales played about the ship, and kept company for several hours. A piece of drift timber and many patches of sea-weed were seen; great numbers of penguins of a large species were observed making their way to the eastward; and,

APPEARANCE OF LAND.

1841.

probably from our expectation of seeing land, many false reports of it were made from the masthead: dense clouds arose in the evening to the eastward, whose strongly marked outline assumed the appearance of land, and were the cause of these frequent mistakes.

Favoured by a strong breeze from the S. W., we Dec. 9. made good progress during the next two days, and by noon on the 9th we had reached the latitude of 52 deg. 32' S. and longitude 161 deg. 20' W. The magnetic dip had increased to 70 deg. S., and the variation was 15 deg. 10' E. The breeze increased to a strong gale soon after noon, with rain and occasional snow squalls, which reduced the temperature of the air from 42 deg. to 34 deg. during their continuance, – the barometer falling quickly to 29.1 inches at midnight. It was a severe night, and felt more so by us from the suddenness of the change of both the temperature and weather. As we had no apprehension of meeting ice in so low a latitude, we pursued our course before the gale, although the snow fell so thickly at times, that we could not see more than a quarter of a mile before us.

Dec. 10.

The gale which continued throughout the next day, shifted to the south-eastward in the afternoon, and reduced us to close-reefed topsails; the change of wind brought clear weather, but prevented our getting so near to the Nimrod Islands as I wished. At noon we were in lat. 53 deg. S. and long. 157 deg. 49' W.; the islands, therefore, bore S. 6 deg. W., 212 miles from us, which was the nearest approach to them we

CIRCLE OF UNIFORM TEMPERATURE

1841.

were able to make. Our observations proved that for the last few days we had been carried to the S. 60 deg. E. by a current, at the rate of fifteen miles daily, similar to that we detected between Kerguelen Island and Van Diemen's Land, and which probably circulates round the globe in a belt of about five degrees on each side of the 50th parallel of south latitude. 12 We still continued to meet with patches of seaweed, and the birds I have before enumerated. To-day a great number of grampuses were seen and a few whales.

As we were now getting near the latitude in which, from our former observations, we might expect to cross the circle of uniform temperature of the ocean, our experiments for the determination of this interesting point in physical geography were made at every opportunity: and, according to our expectation, we reached it on the 13th, in latitude 55 deg. 18' S., longitude 140 deg. 20' W. Unfortunately it was blowing too fresh for us to obtain the temperatures below six hundred fathoms: at that depth it was 39 deg.7; at 450 fathoms, 39 deg.7; at 300 fathoms, 39 deg.9; at 150 fathoms, 39 deg. 6; and at the surface, 39 deg. I have no doubt, that had we been able to measure the temperature to several thousand fathoms, we should have found it not to differ to the amount of one degree throughout the whole depth.

Dec. 14.

The next day proving more favourable for the purpose, thermometers were sent down to one

OF THE SOUTHERN OCEAN.

1841.

thousand two hundred fathoms, and recorded a temperature of 39 deg.7, between that depth and three hundred fathoms; at 150 fathoms it was 38 deg.; that of the surface having: fallen to 35 deg.8; the effect of radiation of heat from the ocean, therefore, extended to the depth of more than 150 fathoms, proving clearly that we were to the southward of the circle of uniform temperature. Our position at this time was, lat, 50 deg. 20' S., long. 148 deg. 8' W. In the forenoon we had crossed a line of ripple, lying in a north and south direction, but our trial of the current failed from mismanagement, and the weather becoming densely foggy, it was not repeated. We also passed a small piece of sea-weed, the last trace of vegetation we saw in our way to the south, and therefore worthy of notice, more especially as we were now in the latitude where we might expect to meet floating ice.

Although the fog was very thick all night, and the wind light from the N. E., yet we contrived to keep company by firing muskets, sounding the gong, or ringing the bell; and had thus an opportunity of judging the relative value of these three methods usually employed as fog signals.

To us the bell was most distinct, and the gong very little inferior, when the musket was scarcely audible; but I was much surprised, at this time, on hailing through a speaking-trumpet, to receive an immediate and so clear an answer from the officer of the watch of the Terror, that we might have carried on a conversation.

FIRST ICEBERGS.

1841. Dec. 15.

A dense fog prevailed throughout the whole of the following day: we were now nearly a hundred miles to the southward of where Cook and Biscoe met with icebergs, still we proceeded on our course with confidence, the temperature of the sea being 36 deg. In the afternoon a boat was lowered down to try the current, which we found setting S. E., at the rate of fifteen and a half miles daily. The barometer rose steadily, notwithstanding which the fog was so thick, that although we could hear the voices of those on board the Terror, and every order that was given, we could not see the vessel. Towards midnight the temperature of the sea fell rather suddenly, to below 34 deg.,

Dec. 16.

and at 5h 30m A.M. two icebergs were seen, and at 6h a third berg, right ahead of us. The fog had cleared away for a short time, which enabled us to see the bergs: and, in passing within half a mile of the largest, the temperature of the sea was rather below 33 deg..

The height of this berg was one hundred and thirty feet, and its circumference three quarters of a mile. It was one of the table-topped, or barrier kind, and deep caverns had been worn into its vertical sides by the action of the sea: a long line of loose pieces extended several miles to leeward of it, and many large masses appeared ready to fall from it, to continue the line of fragments, as the others drifted away before the wind.

At noon we were in latitude 58 deg. 36' S., longitude 146 deg. 13' W. The magnetic dip had increased to

FOCUS OF GREATER INTENSITY.

1841.

73 deg. 23' S., and the variation 14 deg. 40' E. It is a curious fact, that although we caught numerous marine mollusca in the towing net yesterday, it was not until we got near the bergs that the beautiful diminutive argonaut (Argonauta arctica) of the Arctic seas was taken. Cape pigeons were now become more numerous, and the large albatross more rare. The sooty albatross was still seen in considerable numbers, as were also the dark and the blue petrel.

In the afternoon we hove to, and tried the temperature of the sea, to the depth of six hundred fathoms; after which we bore away under more moderate sail; the fog being very thick, great vigilance was necessary during the night, whilst running seven knots, to avoid bergs and enable the Terror to keep company.

As we had now attained that meridian on which I intended to penetrate to the antarctic seas, our course was changed to due south, which was also the most favourable for determining the situation of the several lines of equal magnetic intensity, leading directly across them; our observations had by this time shown that the supposed position of the second focus of greater intensity in this hemisphere was very distant from the truth, and that that point had yet to be sought far to the south.

But my chief object in selecting this meridian was the hope that it would lead to the discovery of land, which I was led to expect by reason of the low

APPROACH THE PACK.

1841.

latitude in which the ice had been met with by former navigators, – at any rate, I thought it better to attain the eastern point of the great southern barrier, at which our operations last year had been interrupted by the setting in of the winter, by a route as widely different as practicable from that by which we had before approached it; and thus enlarge the boundary of our examination of those regions.

Dec. 17.

We passed only a few icebergs during the night, but many very heavy loose pieces, doubtless fragments of broken-up bergs, sufficiently large to destroy any ordinary ship that might strike against them, at the rate we were sailing; the fog had, however, in some degree cleared away, and having no difficulty in avoiding them, we had a fine run. The snow showers which followed in the morning were only of short continuance, and during the longer intervals of clear weather, we could see to a great distance from the mast-head.

At noon we were in lat. 61 deg. 3' S., long. 146 deg. W. We had, therefore, passed beyond the track of the Russian navigator, Bellingshausen, upon this meridian, and were fast approaching that of Cook, in 1774.

Some whales, numerous gray petrel, and Cape pigeons were seen. At 5 P.M. a strong iceblink appeared in the sky to the S. E.; the temperature of the sea also falling to 29 deg. at midnight, gave notice of our approach to a large body of ice: and at three o'clock the following morning the

ENTER THE PACK.

1841. Dec. 18.

main pack was seen stretching across our course, from east to west. At this time there were forty large bergs in sight.

All the circumstances appearing favourable, we at once ran into the pack, and at first made good way through it, the ice being remarkably light and very open; but as we proceeded south it became heavier, and more strongly pressed together, until, after having penetrated about thirty miles, we were obliged to steer more to the westward, availing ourselves of every opportunity of resuming our southerly course when the ice permitted. We were at noon in lat. 60 deg. 50' S., long. 147 deg. 25' W.; and the magnetic dip had increased to 76 deg. S., the variation to nearly 19 deg. E.

Immediately upon entering the ice we found the temperature of the sea 28 deg., that of the air being 32 deg.; and for the first time the beautiful snow-white petrel and the gigantic petrel were seen, also a few whales of the finner kind, and some small seals were basking on the ice.

As we advanced through the pack during the rest of the day, we observed the ice to be very much stained in some places, and upon examination we found it to be caused by matter of a yellowish colour, similar to that we had met with off Mount Erebus, and which led me to suppose it to be aluminous or other minute crystals ejected from that volcano. It has been since ascertained by that eminent naturalist Ehrenberg, whose wonderful researches with the microscope have detected large

ANIMALCULAE.

1841.

mineral masses and extensive formations, composed wholly of the remains of microscopic animalculae, that this colouring matter consisted of countless myriads of an entirely new and minute form of organic life, which he observes arrived at Berlin, in 1844, in a living state, and of which "almost all the separate atoms are independent siliceous-shelled creatures." 13 We also found this colouring; matter in the stomachs of the small Beroe and other molluscous animals we took in the net, which therefore feed upon these infusoria.

In the evening many whales were seen amongst the ice, and were so tame that the ship struck upon one in passing over it, without having done it any harm, although a shock was felt, but whether from the force with which the vessel struck the whale, or from a blow of its tail, given in return, we could not know.

Dec. 19.

The wind wras moderate from the south-eastward, and the weather clear, but the ice to the southward so close that we were obliged to run more to the westward than we wished, forcing our way from hole to hole as they came in sight from the masthead, and keeping as much to the southward as possible until noon, when our progress was interrupted by the closeness of the pack. I took this early opportunity of obtaining magnetic observations on a large floe of ice, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the corrections we em-

MAGNETIC OBSERVATIONS ON ICE.

1841.

ployed for the effect of the ship's iron were still to be depended upon. We were at this time in latitude 63 deg. 23' S., longitude 149 deg. 58' W., having penetrated the pack nearly one hundred miles in a south-west direction. The magnetic observations on the ice agreed very satisfactorily with those made on board the skips; by them we found the magnetic dip to have increased to 77 deg. 23' S., and the variation to 20 deg. 2' E.; on board the Erebus the dip was 77 deg. 25' S., the variation 20 deg. 14' E.

The ice slackened in the afternoon, and we pushed the ships nearly twenty miles further to the S. S. W. by midnight, when we were again stopped.

Dec. 20.

We made considerable progress next morning, by taking advantage of every opening that occurred, although the thick fog, which came on early in the forenoon, prevailed throughout the day. Numerous whales, seals, Cape pigeons, and white petrel were seen, and two or three flocks of an elegant little tern were observed flying to the south-westward. At noon we were in lat. 63 deg. 47' S., long. 151 deg. 34, W.; in the course of the afternoon, the ice again closed, and prevented our getting any further; we tried for soundings, and struck ground in one thousand seven hundred fathoms. The temperature of the sea at 900 fathoms was 39 deg.8; at 750 fathoms, 39 deg.6; at 000 fathoms, 40 deg.; at 300 fathoms, 38 deg.4; at 150 fathoms, 35 deg.6; and at the surface, 30 deg. The experiment at 450 fathoms failed through an acci-

BESET IN THE PACK.

1841.

dental blow the thermometer received; but it is quite clear from that at 300 fathoms, that the mean temperature of the ocean in this latitude is about six hundred fathoms beneath the surface. We did not repeat the experiment as the ice opened, and allowed us to make some way to the southward through it; and those who wish to penetrate an extensive pack, must never miss any opportunity, however trifling, that may present itself, for it is always difficult to know how far it may lead you, or if neglected, how irretrievable may be the loss. Whilst we were hove to, three seals were killed on the ice and brought on board; they offered no resistance, and did not seem to apprehend any harm from our people, whom they suffered to approach near enough to knock them on the head with bludgeons; in the stomach of one of them were about nine pounds in weight of granite stones, which we imagined it must have got from off the floating ice, as we knew of no land within a thousand miles of us; in the stomach of another were the mutilated remains of some fish about the size of a herring, and in all of them great numbers of a large red shrimp, which appears to constitute their chief food.

Dec. 25.

During the next few days we were much embarrassed by fogs and light winds, chiefly from the eastward, and made but little progress in the desired direction, so that we found ourselves on the twenty-fifth in latitude 66 deg. S. and longitude 156 deg. 14' W. and passed our Christmas-day, closely

BESET IN THE PACK.

1841.

beset in the pack, near to a chain of eleven bergs, of the barrier kind, and in a thick fog the greater part of the day, with by no means a cheering prospect before us; we, nevertheless, managed to do justice to the good old English fare, which we had taken care to preserve for the occasion.

Dec. 26.

The wind shifted early in the day to the northward, and towards the evening increased to a strong breeze, accompanied with thick weather and snow; we were at this time in a large hole of clear water, but were not able to find any way out of it to the southward; and as this unfavourable weather continued for some days, we could do nothing more than dodge about from side to side, or occasionally run along the edge of the hole, under easy sail, manoeuvring the vessels so as to keep them from getting beset, and ready to take advantage of any favourable change that might occur of pushing through the pack to the southward. On the evening of the thirtieth, it became

Dec. 30.

quite calm and the ice spread out so as to shut up the hole we were in, but without opening sufficiently to admit of our making any way through it, when a light air sprung up from the northward. We, therefore, made our ships fast to the largest piece of ice we could get hold of, mooring it between the ships to prevent their coming into collision with each other, and employed our crews in filling the water tanks with ice from the floe, the small pools of water which we found on it being too brackish to drink.

BESET IN THE PACK.

1841.

The northerly wind had brought with it a remarkable elevation of the temperature of the air, the thermometer rising to 40 deg. at noon. We were at this time in latitude 66 deg. 30' S., and had, therefore, not yet crossed the Antarctic Circle; and during the last week we had not made more than thirty miles of southing, in the longitude of 156 deg. 19' W.: the magnetic dip 80 deg. 26' S., and the variation 25 deg. 36' W.

Dec. 31.

The calm, with thick fog and snow, continued throughout the day, and our ships remained fast to the piece of ice between them; we could perceive by the bergs we were drifting very slowly to the southward, and the year closed upon us under as unpromising appearances as can be imagined. During the day many seals and white petrel, a few of the gigantic petrel, one entirely white, and a pair of the rapacious Skua gull, were seen.

We took advantage of the opportunity which this unlooked-for detention afforded us of obtaining a careful comparison of the magnetic instruments of the two ships, and were gratified to find they maintained their usual exactness of accordance.

Experiments in the temperature and specific gravity of the ocean, at various and considerable depths, were also made; and as they gave occupation to our crew, so they served, in some measure, to relieve the tedious and wearisome hours of our imprisonment and inactivity. The pack in which we were involved consisted, for the most part, of heavy floe ice, which had been much broken

BESET IN THE PACK.

1841.

up, and pressed and heaped together so as to form the most irregular-shaped masses: severe, indeed, must have been the pressure at some period, as not a single level floe could be seen amongst it, and it seldom happened that we met with any piece exceeding a quarter of a mile in circumference, thus presenting a striking difference of character in the pack of the Antarctic from that of the Arctic Sea, where floes of several miles in diameter are of common occurrence, and sometimes "fields" as they are termed, whose boundary is beyond the reach of vision from a ship's mast head. The cause of this is explained by the circumstance of the ice of the southern regions being so much more exposed to violent agitations of the ocean, whereas the northern sea is one of comparative tranquillity.

METEOROLOGICAL ABSTRACT.

1841.

ABSTRACT OF THE METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL KEPT ON BOARD HER MAJESTY'S SHIP EREBUS. – DECEMBER, 1841.

ABSTRACT OF THE METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL KEPT ON BOARD HER MAJESTY'S SHIP EREBUS. – DECEMBER, 1841.

METEOROLOGICAL ABSTRACT.

1841.

ABSTRACT OF THE METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL KEPT ON BOARD HER MAJESTY'S SHIP EREBUS. – DECEMBER, 1841.

ABSTRACT OF THE METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL KEPT ON BOARD HER MAJESTY'S SHIP EREBUS. – DECEMBER, 1841.

For explanation of these symbols, see Appendix to Vol. I.

12 See Appendix, Vol. I. p. 333.

13 See Appendix to Vol. I., p. 312.

Conditions of Use

By their use of these ebooks, texts and images, users agree to follow these conditions of use:

These ebooks, texts and images may not be used for any commercial purpose without permission from the University of Auckland Library.

These ebooks, texts and images may not be re-published in print or electronic form without permission from the University of Auckland Library. However, educators are welcome to print out items and hand them to their students.

Users are not permitted to download our ebooks, texts, and images in order to mount them on their own servers for public use or for use by a set of subscribers. Individuals and institutions can, of course, make a link to the copies at ENZB, subject to our conditions of use. It is not in our interest or that of our users to have uncontrolled subsets of our holdings available elsewhere on the Internet. We make corrections, add tags, add images, etc. on a continual basis, and we want the most current text to be the only one generally available to all Internet users.

These texts can potentially be used as the basis for additional TEI tagging or for some other etext or ebook project, but we ask that you let us know before you start, so that we can coordinate work on that text and make sure that we are not working on it simultaneously. We would like a copy of the improved text for our collections.

Request for permission form