i 24 A V O Y A G E R O UND THE WORLD»
§§g tribe. We had long and eagerly wilhed for the land
and its vegetable productions, and therefore could not but
eye the profpeCt before us with peculiar delight» and with
emotions of joy and fat is faction which were llrongly
marked in the countenance of each individual.
About three o’clock in the afternoon, we dropped an
anchor under a point of an ifland, where we were m fome
meafure flickered from the fea, and' fo near the fhore,
as to reach it with a hawfer. The Hoop was no fooner in
fafety, than every failor put his hook and line overboard,
and in a few moments numbers of fine fifli were hauled'
up on all parts of the vellel, which heightened the raptures
we had already felt at our'entrance into this bay. The
real good tafte of the filh, joined to our long abftinence,
inclined us to look upon our firft meal here, as the moft
delicious we had ever made in our lives. The view of
rude fceneries in the ftyle of Rofa, of antediluvian
forefts which cloathed the rock, and of numerous rills
of water, which every where rolled down the fteep declivity,
altogether confpired to complete our joy ; and fo
apt is mankind, after a long abfence from land, to be
prejudiced in favour of the wildeft Ihore, that we looked
upon the country at that time, as one of the moft beautiful
which nature unaffifted by art could produce. Such are
the general ideas of travellers and voyagers long exhaufted
by
A VO Y A GE ROUND THE WORLD, 1 25
by diftrefles ; and with fuch warmth of imagination they
have viewed the rude cliffs of Juan Fernandez, and the
impenetrable forefts of Tinian !
Immediately after dinner two boats were fent out to reconnoitre
different parts of the bay, and chiefly to look
for a fafe harbour for our veflel, the firft anchoring-place
being open, inconvenient, and only ferving the neceflity
of the moment. We improved thefe opportunities of pur-
fuing.our refearclres in natural hiftory, and feparated in
order to profit by both excurfions. Each of the parties
found convenient and well-fheltered harbours, with plenty
of wood and water ; and wherever they went they met
with fuch abundance of fith and water-fowl, that they entertained
hopes of a conftant fupply of refrefhments during
their flay in thefe parts. This profpeCt prevailed upon
Capt. Cook, who had but curforily examined the fouthern.
extremities of New-Zeeland in his former voyage, to, fpend.
fome time there, in order to gain a more competent,
knowledge of its fituation and productions. On our parr,,
we perceived a new {tore of animal and vegetable bodies,,
and among-them hardly any that were perfectly fimilar to
the known fpecies, and feveral not analogous even to the
known genera. With thefe therefore we hoped to be
wholly employed during our flay, in fpight of the approach
of autumn, which feemed to threaten the vegetable
creation.
Early