and N.E.

This gale was indicated by the barometer, for the wind no sooner began
to blow, than the mercury in the tube began to fall. Another remarkable
thing attended the coming on of this wind, which was very faint at
first. It brought with it a degree of heat that was almost intolerable.
The mercury in the thermometer rose, as it were instantaneously, from
about 70 deg. to near 90 deg.. This heat was of so short a continuance, that it
seemed to be wafted away before the breeze that brought it; so that some
on board did not perceive it.

We pursued our course to the eastward, without meeting with any thing
worthy of note, till the night between the 6th and 7th of February, when
a marine belonging to the Discovery fell over-board, and was never seen
afterward. This was the second misfortune of the kind that had happened
to Captain Clerke since he left England.

On the 10th, at four in the afternoon, we discovered the land of New
Zealand. The part we saw proved to be Rock's Point, and bore S.E. by S.,
about eight or nine leagues distant. During this run from Van Diemen's
Land, the wind, for the first four or five days, was at N.E., N., and
N.N.W., and blew, for the most part, a gentle breeze. It afterward
veered to S.E., where it remained twenty-four hours. It then came to W.
and S.W.; in which points it continued, with very little deviation, till
we reached New Zealand.

After making the land, I steered for Cape Farewell, which at day-break
the next morning bore S. by W., distant about four leagues. At eight
o'clock, it bore S.W. by S., about five leagues distant; and, in this
situation, we had forty-five fathoms water over a sandy bottom. In
rounding the Cape we had fifty fathoms, and the same sort of bottom.

I now steered for Stephens's Island, which we came up with at nine
o'clock at night; and at ten, next morning, anchored in our old station,
in Queen Charlotte's Sound. Unwilling to lose any time, our operations
commenced that very afternoon, when we landed a number of empty
water-casks, and began to clear a place where we might set up the two
observatories, and tents for the reception of a guard, and of such of
our people whose business might make it necessary for them to remain on
shore.

We had not been long at anchor before several canoes, filled-with
natives, came along-side of the ships; but very few of them would
venture on board; which appeared the more extraordinary, as I was well
known to them a