He then struck Kerguelen's Land, spent Christmas Day in one of its harbours, and mapped the eastern side of this large but desolate island.

He was unaware that Kerguelen had visited this island a second time, and had gained much more information about it than he did in his first voyage.
Cook had taken on board at the Cape as many cattle, horses, bulls, cows, goats, and sheep as he could stow, with a view of landing them at Tahiti or elsewhere, and it is without surprise that we learn that after several weeks in these stormy seas a good many of them had died.

When we consider the size of the ships the wonder is where they found room for these animals.
On January 26th the ships arrived in Tasmania, and anchored in Adventure Bay, principally with a view of getting fodder for the remaining cattle.
Pigs were left here, according to Cook's usual custom.
After four days the ships sailed, and arrived in Queen Charlotte's Sound, New Zealand, on February 12th, 1777.

Here Cook learnt the history of the attack on the Adventure's boat's crew from the chief who led it, but made no attempt at reprisals, although urged by many other natives to kill him.

He seems to have been guided by the consideration that, as related by the natives, it was a dishonest act of barter on the part of one of the sailors which commenced the disturbance; and that occurring so long before, no good purpose would be served by punishment.