The day after he quitted Amsterdam, he passed the island of Pilstart; an island which had been discovered by Tasman.
On the 21st, he made the land of New Zealand, at the distance of eight or ten leagues from Table Cape.

As our commander was very desirous of leaving in the country such an assortment of animals and vegetables as might greatly contribute to the future benefit of the inhabitants, one of the first things which he did was to give to a chief, who had come off in a canoe, two boars, two sows, four hens, and two cocks, together with a quantity of seeds, The seeds were of the most useful kind; such as wheat, french and kidney beans, pease, cabbage, turnips, onions, carrots, parsnips, and yams.

The man to whom these several articles were presented, though he was much more enraptured with a spike-nail half the length of his arm, promised, however, to take care of them, and in particular, not to kill any of the animals.

If he adhered to his promise, they would be sufficient, in a due course of time, to stock the whole island.
It was the 3rd of November before Captain Cook brought the Resolution into Ship Cove, in Queen Charlotte's Sound.

He had been beating about the island from the 21st of October, during which time his vessel was exposed to a variety of tempestuous weather.