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Rh proved to be in later years. Among the plants gathered were Olearia operina, Celmisia holosericea, Gentiana saxosa and G. montana, and Cordyline indivisa.

From Dusky Sound the "Resolution" proceeded northwards to Queen Charlotte Sound, which was reached on the 18th May. Here she rejoined the "Adventure," which had arrived on the 7th April. Both vessels left on the 7th June, in the first place for a cruise to the south-east of New Zealand, in further search for a southern continent, and then for eastern Polynesia. In October Cook again directed his course to New Zealand. Making the coast of the North Island near Table Cape, he steered to the south, stopping near Cape Kidnappers to give pigs and fowls to some Natives that came off to his ship. Up to this time the two vessels had been in company, but off Cape Palliser exceptionally severe weather was encountered, and they separated. The "Resolution" proceeded to Queen Charlotte Sound, which had been appointed a place of rendezvous, and remained there waiting for her consort from the 3rd November to the 25th, when Cook left for a cruise to the Antarctic Ocean. Five days after his departure the "Adventure" arrived, and remained until the 23rd December. During this stay an unfortunate dispute arose with the Maoris, which led to the massacre of a boat's crew of ten men. After a year's explorations in various parts of the Pacific, Cook once more returned to New Zealand, anchoring in his favourite resort, Queen Charlotte Sound, on the 19th October, 1774. His stay was but short, and on the 10th November he left on his return voyage, reaching Plymouth on the 30th July, 1775.

From the above sketch it will be seen that the only localities botanized in during Cook's second voyage were Queen Charlotte Sound, which had already been explored by Banks and Solander, and Dusky Sound. But a much longer period was spent in harbour and on shore than during the previous voyage, and the collections ought to have been quite as extensive. Instead of this, they were much smaller, the total number of flowering-plants and ferns not exceeding 180 species. Sets of these were distributed to several public and private herbaria, unfortunately in a somewhat careless manner as regards the nomenclature, thus causing many mistakes and much confusion. Within twelve months after their return the two Forsters conjointly issued a work entitled "Characteres Genera Plantarum," in which seventy-five new genera were shortly described and illustrated, thirty-one of them being from New Zealand. The book is interesting on account of containing the first published descriptions of New Zealand plants, but otherwise is most disappointing. The descriptions are short and meagre, and the illustrations so badly executed as to be practically useless. In 1786 George Forster published his "Florulæ Insularum Australium Prodromus," which contains diagnoses of 594 species, about 170 of which have New Zealand assigned as a habitat.