neareft branches, nay on the ends of our fowling-pieces,
and perhaps looked at us as new objects, with a curiofity
fnnilar to our own. This little boldnefs in reality at firft
protefled them from harm, fince it was impoffible to flioot
t'hem when they approached fo near; but in a few days
it frequently proved the means of their deftru&ion; for a
fly cat on board, had’no fooner 'perceived fo excellent an
opportunity of obtaining delicious meals, than fhe regularly
took a walk in the woods every morning, and made
great havock among the little birds, that were not aware
of fuch an infidious enemy.
As we had plenty of fifli, and Law a number of water-
birds which might afford us a variety of animal food,
fome of our botanical excurfions were -in a great meafure
informed in fearch of ufeful vegetables, to be eaten as
greens. From thence the mod falutary effedts might be
e x p e d it e d , by a Let of people who had been above feven-
teen weeks at lea, and whofe blood muff have been more
or lefs corrupted by living fo long on fait provifions.
On the firft day after our arrival we found a beautiful
tree in flower, fomething related to the myrtle-genus, of
which an infufion had been drank inftead of tea in Capt.
Cook’ s former voyage. We immediately repeated the experiment
with great eagernefs, as we had not yet feen any
plant which was fit to be ufed at our tables. Its leaves
were finely aromatic, aftringent, and had a particular pleafant
fant flavour at the firft infufion ; but this fine tafte went ma” c«.
off at the next filling up of the tea-pot, and a great degree
o f bitternefs was then extracted. We therefore never differed
it to be twice infufed. The ufe of this plant, which
became general among our crew, probably contributed
greatly to reftore their flrength, and to remove all fcorbu-
tic fymptQms. A plant, which might .be of fervice to future
navigators,. deferved to be, drawn, in order that they
might know it again. We have therefore, very readily permitted
Captain Cook to make ufe of our drawing of it,
from which a plate, has been engraved by order of the
Admiralty, intended to accompany his own account of this
voyage. In a fine foil in thick forefts it grows to a con-
fiderable tree, fometimes thirty or forty feet high, and
above a foot in diameter; on a hilly arid expofure I have,
on the contrary, found it . as a little fhrub, fix inches high,’
which bore flowers and feed ; but its ufual fize is about
eight or ten feet, and about three inches in diameter, in
that cafe its ftem is .irregular and unequal, dividing very
foon into branches which rife at acute angles, and only
bear leaves and flowers at top. The flowers are white and
very ornamental to the whole; plant. Another tree, which
grew in great plenty round about us, was likewife tried,
and-afforded a good infufion; but the refemblance it bore
to the trees of the fir tribe, and a kind of refinous tafte
*oon con vinced us that it was fitter to •ferve .the purpofes of
• ’Yon, I. c b thg