Plants, etc., would thrive here; in short, was this Country
settled by an industrious people they would very soon be supplied not
only with the necessaries, but many of the Luxuries, of Life. The Sea,
Bays, and Rivers abound with a great Variety of Excellent Fish, the most
of them unknown in England, besides Lobsters, which were allowed by every
one to be the best they ever had eat. Oysters and many other sorts of
shell fish all Excellent in their kind. Sea and Water Fowls of all sorts
are, however, in no great plenty; those known in Europe are Ducks, Shags,
Gannets, and Gulls, all of which were Eat by us, and found exceeding
good; indeed, hardly anything came Amiss to us that could be Eat by Man.
Land fowl are likewise in no great plenty, and all of them, except
Quails, are, I believe, unknown in Europe; these are exactly like those
we have in England. The Country is certainly destitute of all sorts of
beasts, either wild or tame, except dogs and Rats; the former are tame,
and lived with the people, who breed and bring them up for no other
purpose than to Eat, and rats are so scarce that not only I, but many
others in the Ship, never see one. Altho' we have seen some few Seals,
and once a Sea Lion upon this Coast, yet I believe they are not only very
scarce,* (* There are a good many seals round the southern part of New
Zealand, and a regular fishery is now established on Stewart Island. Cook
saw nothing of the few natives that occupied the southern parts of the
Island.) but seldom or ever come ashore; for if they did the Natives
would certainly find out some Method of Killing them, the Skins of which
they no doubt would preserve for Cloathing, as well as the Skins of Dogs
and birds, the only Skins we ever saw among them. But they must sometimes
get Whales, because many of the Patta Pattoas are made of the bones of
some such fish, and an Ornament they wear at their breast (on which they
set great Value), which are supposed to be made of the Tooth of a Whale;
and yet we know of no method or instrument they have to kill these
Animals.

In the woods are plenty of Excellent Timber, fit for all purposes except
Ships' Masts; and perhaps upon a Close Examination some might be found
not improper for that purpose. There grows spontainously everywhere a
kind of very broad-bladed grass, like flags of the Nature of Hemp,* (*
The New Zealand flax (Phormium Tenax) is now a considerable article of
commerce. It furnishes a very strong