His predecessors had struggled through the Strait of Magellan, losing much time and wearing out their men with the continual anchoring and weighing in that long and narrow passage, rendered necessary by the constant foul and strong winds that prevail.

The idea was to avoid the heavy seas and gales of the open sea; but Cook's action was amply justified by a more rapid passage without any danger.

Discovering several of the low coral atolls of the Paumotu Group, he arrived at Tahiti on April 13th, 1769.
On July 13th, the transit of Venus having been observed under favourable conditions on June 1st, he left Tahiti, exploring and mapping the Society Islands immediately to the westward, never before visited, and then stood to the southward.

It may here be mentioned that it is only during the last decade that Cook's charts of the Society Group have been superseded by more elaborate surveys by the French.
Cook went to 40 degrees south, discovering one of the Austral Group on his way, when, finding no sign of the hypothetical southern Continent, and getting into very dirty weather, he first gained a more northern latitude and favourable winds, and then stood for New Zealand.
On October 7th he arrived at Poverty Bay, and during the next six months he completely circumnavigated and mapped the islands of New Zealand.

He had received on board at Tahiti a native, one Tupia, formerly the high priest, and a man of much intelligence.