to be made into wort, mustard, vinegar, wheat, orange and lemon
juice and portable soup was put on board, and Cook received special
orders to keep his men with plenty of fresh food whenever this was
possible. He carried out these orders strenuously, and at Madeira we
find him punishing one of his own seamen with twelve lashes for refusing
to eat fresh beef. Hence they left Rio de Janeiro "in as good a condition
for prosecuting the voyage as on the day they left England."

[Illustration: THE ISLAND OF OTAHEITE, OR ST. GEORGE. From a painting
by William Hodges, who accompanied Captain Cook.]

Christmas Day was passed near the mouth of the river Plate, and, early
in the New Year of 1769, the _Endeavour_ sailed through the Strait
of Le Maire. The wealthy Mr. Banks landed on Staaten Island and hastily
added a hundred new plants to his collection. Then they sailed on to
St. George's Island. It had been visited by Captain Wallis in the
_Dolphin_ the previous year; indeed, some of Cook's sailors had served
on board the _Dolphin_ and knew the native chiefs of the island. All
was friendly, tents were soon pitched, a fort built with mounted guns
at either side, the precious instruments landed, and on 3rd June, with
a cloudless sky and in intolerable heat, they observed the whole
passage of the planet Venus over the sun's disk.

After a stay of three months they left the island, taking Tupia, a
native, with them. Among other accomplishments this Tupia roasted dogs
to perfection, and Cook declares that dogs' flesh is "next only to
English lamb."

They visited other islands in the group--now known as the Society
Islands and belonging to France--and took possession of all in the
name of His Britannic Majesty, George III.

All through the month of September they sailed south, till on 7th
October land was sighted. It proved to be the North Island of New
Zealand, never before approached by Europeans from the east. It was
one hundred and twenty-seven years since Tasman had discovered the
west coast and called it Staaten Land, but no European had ever set
foot on its soil. Indeed, it was still held to be part of the Terra
Australis Incognita.

The first to sight land was a boy named Nicholas Young, hence the point
was called "Young Nick's Head," which may be seen on our maps to-day,
covering Poverty Bay. The natives here were unfriendly, and Cook was
obliged to use firearms to prevent an attack. The Maoris had never
seen a great shi