On the isle is fresh water; and cabbage-palm, wood-sorrel, sow-thistle, and samphire, abounding in some places on the shore, we brought on board as much of each sort as the time we had to gather them would admit.  These cabbage-trees or palms were not thicker than a man’s leg, and from ten to twenty feet high.  They are of the same genus with the cocoa-nut tree; like it they have large pinnated leaves, and are the same as the second sort found in the northern parts of New South Wales.  The cabbage is, properly speaking, the bud of the tree; each tree producing but one cabbage, which is at the crown, where the leaves spring out, and is inclosed in the stem.  The cutting off the cabbage effectually destroys the tree; so that no more than one can be had from the same stem.  The cocoa-nut tree, and some others of the palm kind, produce cabbage as well as these.  This vegetable is not only wholesome, but exceedingly palatable, and proved the most agreeable repast we had for some time.

The coast does not want fish.  While we were on shore, the people in the boats caught some which were excellent.  I judged that it was high water at the full and change, about one o’clock; and that the tide rises and falls upon a perpendicular about four or five feet.

The approach of night brought us all on board, when we hoisted in the boats, and stretched to E.N.E. (with the wind at S.E.) till midnight, when we tacked, and spent the remainder of the night making short boards.

Next morning at sun-rise, we made sail, stretching to S.S.W., and weathered the island; on the south side of which lie two isles, that serve as roosting and breeding-places for birds.  On this, as also on the S.E. side, is a sandy beach; whereas most of the other shores are bounded by rocky cliffs, which have twenty and eighteen fathoms water close to them:  At least so we found it on the N.E. side, and with good anchorage.  A bank of coral sand, mixed with shells, on which we found from nineteen to thirty-five or forty fathoms water, surrounds the isle, and extends, especially to the south, seven leagues off.  The morning we discovered the island, the variation was found to be 13 deg. 9’ E.; but I think this observation gave too much, as others which we had, both before and after, gave 2 deg. less.[2]

After leaving Norfolk Isle, I steered for New Zealand, my intention being to touch at Queen Charlotte’s Sound, to refresh my crew, and put the ship in a condition to encounter the southern latitudes.

On the 17th, at day-break, we saw Mount Egmont, which was covered with everlasting snow, bearing S.E. 1/2 E. Our distance from the shore was about eight leagues, and, on sounding, we found seventy fathoms water, a muddy bottom.  The wind soon fixed in the western board, and blew a fresh gale, with which we steered S.S.E. for Queen Charlotte’s Sound, with a view of falling in with Cape Stephens.  At noon Cape Egmont bore E.N.E. distant three or four leagues;