The ship of their captain, De Surville, just missed meeting Cook at the Bay of Islands.

There the French made a fortnight's stay, and were well treated by the chief, Kinui, who acted with particular kindness to certain sick sailors put on shore to recover.

Unfortunately one of De Surville's boats was stolen, and in return he not only burnt the nearest village and a number of canoes, but kidnapped the innocent Kinui, who pined away on shipboard and died off the South American coast a few days before De Surville himself was drowned in the surf in trying to land at Callao.
For this rough-handed and unjust act certain of De Surville's countrymen were destined to pay dearly.

Between two and three years afterwards, two French exploring vessels under the command of Marion du Fresne entered the Bay of Islands.

They were in want of masts and spars, of wood and water, and had many men down with sickness.
The expedition was on the look-out for that dream of so many geographers--the great south continent.