Cook, on August 31st,
sailed to the westward to search for more lands.

His chart of the New Hebrides is still, for some of the islands, the only
one; and wherever superseded by more recent surveys the general accuracy
of his work, both in outline and position, is very remarkable. On several
occasions up to the present year (1893) Cook's recorded positions have
saved the adoption of so-called amendments reported by passing ships,
which would have been anything but amendments in reality.

Four days after leaving the New Hebrides Cook discovered New Caledonia.
He explored the whole of the eastern side of this large island, which is
three hundred miles in length, anchoring in one harbour inside the reefs
which border it, and making friends with the natives. Other attempts to
get inside the reefs were, however, unsuccessful, and after several
narrow escapes from shipwreck Cook gave up, to his regret, a complete
circumnavigation of the island. The summer approaching, he wished to
refit and recruit in New Zealand before once more standing south.

Norfolk Island was discovered and landed upon on the way, and Queen
Charlotte's Sound was once more reached on October 19th.

The Adventure's visit was ascertained from the Maoris, but Cook was much
puzzled by incompletely understood accounts of white men having been
killed. As far as could be gathered a ship had been lost on the coast,
and Cook was led to believe that this disaster had no reference to the
Adventure.

It was found that pigs and fowls left here on the former visit were still
in existence, and presumably thriving. It may here be mentioned, that
wherever Cook touched he invariably, so far as his stock allowed, left
animals to stock the country, and that New Zealand was, when the settlers
eventually came, found to be well supplied with pigs.

After a stay of three weeks the Resolution sailed, on November 10th, for
Cape Horn. She kept farther north than on the last occasion, the object
being to pass over new ground, and more completely disprove the existence
of any land.

The western part of Tierra del Fuego being reached, Cook followed the
shore to the south-east, mapping the outside of this dangerous and
inhospitable archipelago. On December 20th he put in to what he
afterwards called Christmas Sound, where large numbers of kelp geese were
obtained, giving the crew what Cook describes as a dainty Christmas
feast, though the flesh of these birds is as tough, fish