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True to the objective of discovery, Cook's itinerary, following his Tahiti departure, was set to resolve the issue of a great southern continent. As instructed, he sailed south to 40 degrees latitude at or by which point proponents of the southern continent theory expected he would make landfall. On finding no land mass, Cook's path was to take him west and into the eastern side of the land recorded by Tasman.
At 40 degrees South latitude, Cook found no land body. Furthermore, the nature of the ocean swell indicated no major land mass in the vicinity. The weather worsened and Cook turned northward and continued west. By the end of September, Cook sailed into water with pieces of floating seaweed and other material, as well as sea birds, associated with the presence of land, and concluded landfall was imminent.
On 7 October 1769 land on the eastern side of New Zealand's North Island was sighted.
New Zealand to Batavia
The issue of New Zealand was significant to geographers as they plotted the distant ocean. Tasman had barely touched the land and left it by surmising it could be an extension of the polar land Le Maire identified as he (Le Maire) transited the southern end of South America. Le Maire called this Staaten Land, and Tasman conjectured with the same name. Cook intended to determine the relationship of Tasman's Staaten Land with the Staaten Land of Le Maire.
A young ship's boy (possibly aged about 12) was the first to sight this land, and two days later Cook was at anchor in a bay he eventually called Poverty Bay, as he was unable to find supplies he wished for the ship's company. The prominent headland at the southern end of the bay was named for the first to spy the land, Young Nick's Head. In this bay Cook had his first encounter with the aboriginal New Zealanders, the Maori. The Tahitian priest Tupaia was able to converse with the Maori natives, but he determined they were not friendly and Cook's men must be constantly on guard for their safety and for their effects. In a first meeting, the sword of one of Cook's officers was taken and the result was the shooting (and killing) of the Maori thief.
Cook set sail to the south to survey, but after less than a week, he turned to retrace his coastal journey back toward Poverty Bay, naming the place Cape Turnagain. It was evident to Cook that the land continued to the south and as the winter weather was not yet abated, he decided to go north before exploring south. This would give the southern weather a chance to become more agreeably, as the season turned to summer. In this down-and-back maneuver, Cook twice passed through and charted the great, sweeping Hawke Bay, named for the first Lord of the Admiralty at the time, Sir Edward Hawke. On the southward leg of this sweep, at the southern end of Hawke Bay, natives tried to kidnap the boy servant of Tupaia. With the boy in their canoe a group of kidnappers began paddling off. Cook's men fired upon the group, killing two or three and allowing the boy to jump over and swim back toward Endeavor. The incident caused Cook to name the southern point at Hawke Bay, Cape Kidnappers.
Following the coastline northward and then west, Cook was nearing the lowest latitude for the North Island, when squally weather blew Endeavor out of sight of land. In beating back into the coastline, Cook determined the swell he faced indicated a large expanse of ocean and that he would begin moving south along the west coast. More bad weather again blew Endeavor off the coast, but Cook was able to identify the islands Tasman had called the Three Kings and also to fix very accurately, the Cape Tasman had called after the wife of his administrative supporter, Cape Maria van Dieman.
Cook wrote of the weather:
Thursday, 28 December 1769: The gale continued without the least intermission until 2 AM when the wind fell a little and began to veer to the Southward and to SW where it fix'd at 4, and we made sail and steer'd East in for the land under Foresail and main-sail but was soon obliged to take in the latter as it began to blow very hard and increased in such a manner that by 8 oClock it was a meer hurricane attended with rain and the Sea run prodigious high, at this time we wore the Ship haul'd up the Fore-sail and brought her to with her head in the NW under a reef'd Main-sail, but this was scarce done before the Main tack gave way and we were glad to take in the Main sail and lay under the Mizen stay-sail and Balanced Mizen . . . .
Friday, 29 December 1769: A very hard gale with squalls ---
Saturday, 30 December 1769: PM hard gales with some squalls attended with rain ---
Sunday, 31 December 1769: Fresh gales at SW and SWBS accompanied by a large sea from the same quarter ---
Monday, 1 January 1770: . . . . but it will hardly be credited that in the midst of summer and in the Latitude of 35 degrees, such a gale of wind as we have had could have happen'd, which for its strength and continuence was such as I hardly was ever in before. Fortunately at this time we were at a good distance from land otherwise it might have proved fatal to us.
On the 14th of January, on the western coast, and on passing (and naming) Mount Egmont (First Lord of the Admiralty) on the southwest prominence of the North Island, Cook found a wide expanse of water, a broad, deep bay, reaching to the east. On the southern shore of the bay, Cook found many smaller bays as part of a complex he called Queen Charlotte's Sound. Here he anchored and repaired and serviced his ship at a place called Ship's Cove. The location was less than 50 miles from the location of Tasman's Murderer's Bay, yet Cook was unable to uncover from the local natives any history related to the Tasman incidents.
Early in February Cook climbed a local hill to better see the inlet and surrounds. He descended elated, for he had seen the passage of the large bay into the oceans of the east. The expedition was on the southern shore of a strait (later, Cook Strait) which separated the North Island from any claim of being part of a super continent. Cook was set to prove the North Island was that, an island. He sailed for Cape Turnagain on the east coast of the North Island.
Friday, 9 February 1770: . . . . we continued our Course along shore to the NE untill 11 oClock AM when the weather clearing up we saw Cape Turn-again. I then called the officers upon deck and asked them if they were now satisfied that this land was an Island to which they answer'd in the affirmative and we hauled our wind to the Eastward.
Turning south, Cook set about discovering the southern geography, but was greatly hampered by squalls and unfit weather, forcing him offshore several times, until he reached 47 degrees South latitude. From the east Cook worked in on the strait separating what is now known as Stewart Island from the mainland of the South Island, but he did not complete the passage, and so never recognized the distinct nature of that smaller island. West of Stewart Island, Cook made a successful passage but was caused to note his good fortune and identify a dangerous conditions for the unwatchful.
Friday, 9 March 1770: The wind now veerd to the westward and as the weather was fine and the Moon light we kept standing close upon a wind to the SW all night: at 4 AM sounded and had 60 fathom. At day light we discover'd under our lee bow a ledge of rocks (on which the sea broke very high) extended from SBW to WBW and not above [three-quarters] of a mile from us, yet upon sounding we had 45 fathom water and a rocky bottom. These rocks are not the only dangers that lay here for about three leagues to the northward of them is another ledge of rocks laying full three Leagues from the land whereon the sea broke very high, as we pass'd these rocks in the night at no great distance and discover'd the others close under our lee at day light it is apparent that we had a very fortunate escape. I have named them the Traps because they lay as such to catch unwary strangers.
By mid-March, the southern reach of the southern island had been bested and Endeavor was turned north, again on a west coast. Banks and those favoring the existence of a southern continent, conceded this land was not it.
In this moment there appears to have developed a lasting enmity from Banks toward Cook, if not mutually placed. There appears on the southwest edge of the South Island, beautiful and deep fjord lands into which Banks was emphatic the expedition should cruise. Cook recognized the basic danger of being in a sailing craft on a west coast with a west wind and entering a narrow confine by which turning would be difficult, if accomplished at all. The rocky nature of the fjord indicated a rocky bottom which would offer poor or no purchase for anchor flukes. He refused to jeopardize his ship and sailed northward, past Banks' requested stop. Cook makes little note of the incident, but Banks recalled it negatively 30 years later (and after Cook's death), when comparing the expeditionary captainships of Matthew Flinders and Cook.
Cook returned to secure harbor inside Cook Strait. Here he planned and prepared for his departure of New Zealand. The work for which he had been sent to the South Pacific had been completed, and Cook's instruction was to return to England in the manner he believed most appropriate. Beaglehole identifies the four options before Cook.
On the last option, the officers were unanimous. The ship's company was now on the return leg to England. Cook plotted to reach Tasman's Van Dieman's Land. With Endeavor watered and wood brought aboard and a fresh supply of ascorbic vegetables, Cook left New Zealand.
Sunday, 1 April 1770: I have before made mention of our quitting New-Zeland with an intention to steer to the westward which we accordingly did takeing our departure from Cape Fare-well in the Latitude of 40 degrees 30 minutes South and Longitude 185 degrees, 58 minutes West from Greenwich KATIKATI HISTORY