abated they found themselves some distance to the south of a high point
of land, which, from Rutherford's description, there can be no doubt
must have been that to which Captain Cook gave the name of East Cape.
Rutherford calls it sometimes the East, and sometimes the South-East
Cape, and describes it as the highest part of the coast. It lies nearly
in latitude 37° 42' S.

The land directly opposite to them was indented by a large bay. This the
captain was very unwilling to enter, believing that no ship had ever
anchored in it before. We have little doubt, however, that this was the
very bay into which Cook first put, on his arrival on the coasts of New
Zealand, in the beginning of October, 1769. He called it Poverty Bay,
and found it to lie in latitude 38° 42' S. The bay in which Rutherford
now was must have been at least very near this part of the coast; and
his description answers exactly to that which Cook gives of Poverty Bay.

It was, says Rutherford, in the form of a half-moon, with a sandy beach
round it, and at its head a fresh-water river, having a bar across its
mouth, which makes it navigable only for boats. He mentions also the
height of the land which forms its sides. All these particulars are
noticed by Cook. Even the name given to it by the natives, as reported
by the one, is not so entirely unlike that stated by the other, as to
make it quite improbable that the two are merely the same word
differently misrepresented. Cook writes it Taoneroa, and Rutherford
Takomardo. The slightest examination of the vocabularies of barbarous
tongues, which have been collected by voyagers and travellers, will
convince every one of the extremely imperfect manner in which the ear
catches sounds to which it is unaccustomed, and of the mistakes to which
this and other causes give rise, in every attempt which is made to take
down the words of a language from the native pronunciation, by a person