Poverty Bay to Tolaga Bay.

Cape Gable (Pari-nui-te-ra) is four miles
N.N.E. of Poverty Bay, between it and the
latter the shore is rugged with sterile hills
rising to six hundred feet. Rocks extend
a mile from the projecting points, having
sandy bays within, also faced by rocks.
Reefs extend two miles south from the
Gable.

Cape Gable was so called by Cook from
its having a glaring triangular facing like a
whitewashed gable-end of a house, this appearance is contracted when within 3 miles
of the land, but from the eastward it is very
prominent; there is a small islet one-third
of a mile S.S.E. of it, with a reef extending
half a mile in the same direction; there are
also detached rocks a mile north of the
Gable, about three-quarters of a mile from
the beach.

Between this and Tolaga, the rocks extend about half a mile from the shore at low
water. The Motara rocks (above water)
are three miles S.S.E. of Sporing’s Island,
and a quarter of a mile from the point.

Tolaga Bay,

Or, more properly, Uawa, is 10 miles north
of Cape Gable, it is N.N.W. and S.S.E.
from head to head, one and one-third miles
across, and about the same distance depth;
in it there is anchorage in all westerly
winds from north to south.

The north head rises to 400 feet, and the
south to 890, both composed of the white
marl so conspicuous along this coast. Sporing’s Island (of the same nature) has only
a fordable depth between it and the south
head; it is surrounded by rocks extending
a cable off.

The north head has an island off it (Motu
Heka) surrounded by rocks, and outside
again, N.E. from it, is a reef always breaking, its outer limit being one and a-half
miles from the head; in the passage between
this reef and Motu Heka there is 11 fathoms.

Tolaga Bay is clear of dangers; there are
ten fathoms between the heads, shoaling
everywhere gradually; there is one part,
however, where an anchor will not hold well,
the ground being shingle and rock; this
small patch is one-third across from the
south towards the north head. It is better
to anchor within this line.

On the approach of easterly winds vessels
should leave in good time, for the outer reef
renders the beating out somewhat tedious.

Within the south head is a cove where
Cook watered, and beyond is to be seen the
remarkable arch in the cliffs which he speaks
of; the natives shewed us several initials
cut out on the rock where the artificial well
exists made by Cook’s crew; there is, however, some difficulty in getting water in
Tolaga during the dry season. Here we
obtained provisions, better and at a more
reasonable rate from Europeans and natives
than anywhere else on this coast.

At the head of the Bay is the river
Uawa, with a bar of five feet, which is said
to be constantly shifting; coasters have
occasionally entered it, the principal branch
has its rise to the northward.

Tolaga Bay to Open Bay.

Between Tolaga and the East Cape there
is no good anchorage, although coasters do
sometimes anchor in Tokomaru and Open
Bays, yet they can only be approached in
fine weather, and scarcely deserve the name
of bays.

Four miles north of Tolaga is Marau
Point, a bluff projection off which there
is a reef awash, rather more than a mile
east of the point, this extends N.N.W.
and S.S.E. half-a-mile.

N.N.W. two miles from Marau Point is
the island of Anaura, a quarter of a mile
from the main, with a boat passage between. It is sterile and precipitous, three-quarters of a mile in length, and forms the
southern point of a bight called Waipari
Bay, which is about a mile and a half broad,
with sandy shores; the north point, and
indeed the whole of this Bay, is rocky.

From Anaura Island to Mawai is North
four and a half miles, midway is a rocky
islet (Motu Repa), which has a narrow
channel of five fathoms within it. Before
reaching Mawai Point is a small cove,
called by the whalers St. Patrick’s Cove,
which is well sheltered for boats; this cove
takes its name from a curious pinnacle,
which seen from seaward appears like a
gigantic figure of a man with his arms
folded.

Mawai Point (forming the south head
of Tokomaru) is a sharp and barren projection surrounded by rocks. On the south
side of Tokomaru Bay the rocks are visible;
the Hikutu rocks in the middle of the bay
have 14 fathoms all round them, and are
visible only at low water. The heads are 4
miles apart, N. by E. and S. by W. No
vessels, but such coasters as know the channels among the rocks, should attempt this
bay, for it is a very open anchorage.

North of Tokomaru the coast is precipitous, trending N. by W. for three and a half
miles (to Waipiro or Open Bay) and backed
by a hill—Tawhiti—which rises to the
height of 1670 feet, the highest peak on the
coast. East of this peak, and half a mile
from the shore, is the Island Mowhiauru,
about 30 feet high, encircled by rocks.

Open Bay (Waipiro)

Will be known by its being the opening the
north of Tawhiti Hill; it is 4 miles from
north to south, and is little more than one
mile deep. There is a considerable stream
in the south-western corner of the bay, but