w The two following days we were entirely confined on
March. °
board, on account of the rain and ftormy weather ; which
not a little damped our fpirits, and gave us reafon to
fear we ihould fpend the remainder of our time very dif-
april. agreeably. However, on the i ft of April in the afternoon,
we took the advantage of a lucid interval to make another
vifit to the cove where we had feen the Indians. We found
every thing in the fame fituation as we had left it, and- it
did not appear that- any perfon had been near the canoe
fince that time. The weather being now fair, we faw this
cove in all its perfe&ion. It is fo fpacious that a whole
fleet of fliips may lie at anchor in it, and fome -of the
loftieft hills in all the bay encompafs i t on the fouth-weft
fide and are entirely covered with woods from the fum-
mit to the water’s fide. The different projefting points*
and the various iflands in the bay, form altogether a pic-
turefque and pleafing fcene. The fmoothnefs of the water,
illumined by the fetting fun, the different degrees of verdure,
and the various notes of birds which refounded
throughout the whole cove during this calm evening,
greatly foftened the rude, uncultivated outlines of this
landfcape.
The pleafure we had enjoyed in the evening, induced us
to return to the cove again the next day, which continued
to be perfectly fair. We fet out at fun-rife,- and did
mot return till late in the .evening, with a confiderable
able acquifition of new birds, and plants. We had a young
dog with us at this time, which the officers had taken on
board at the Cape of Good Hope, and intended to try, whether
we could not train him up to the gun, but we had
no fooner difcharged the firft fowling-piecey than he ran into
the woods, and would not return, though we ufed all pof-
fible means to recover him. Captain Cook likewife took
the opportunity of the fair weather, to examine different
parts of the bay ; and touched at a little rock, near our firft
anchoring place, which had already at that time acquired
the name of Seal-rock, from the animals that came to fleep
upon it. Here he found a number of feals, and killed
three of them, among which one afforded him great
fport: for having been repeatedly wounded, it became
quite furious, and attacked the boat, where it was at laft
killed. It weighed 220 pounds, was about fix feet long,
and very lean. After he had paffed feveral ifl.es, he reached
the north-weft part of the bay, formed by the land of Point
Five-fingers : there, at the bottom of a fine cove, he found
a great variety of aquatic birds, of which he killed and
brought on board a confiderable number.
Another rainy paufe of three days followed this excurfion,
confining us to our fhip, where a fort of little crane-flies
(tipula alts incumbentibus), which had plagued us ever fince
our entrance into Dufky Bay, became remarkably trouble-
fome during the bad weather. They were numerous in the
feirts-
1773- A pril.