AVki3i" Land. Here he found a prodigious number of the water-
hens before mentioned, and brought away ten couple of
them, which recompenfed him for the trouble of croffing
the ifthmus, through intricate woods, where the water
was frequently up to the waift. At nine, o clock we were
all affembled again, and fet out on our return to the fhip;
but as we continued examining every creek and harbour
which we found on our way, and encreafing our collection
o f wild-fowl, we did not return till feven o’clock in the
evening. We brought feven dozen of various forts of
birds with us, among which were near thirty ducks, and
immediately diftributed them to the feveral mefles. of officers,
petty-officers, and feamen, as Tar as they would go.
We may take this opportunity to obferve, that^ there is no
part of New Zeeland fo well flocked with birds4 of all kinds
as Dufky Bay. We found feveral forts of wild-ducks,
fiiags, corvorants, oyfter-catchers o r fea-pies, water or wood-
hens, albatrofles, gannets, gulls, pinguins, and others, of
the aquatic kind. The land-birds were hawks, parrots,
pigeons, and many Idler ones of new and unknown fpecies.
The parrots were of two forts-; one fmall and green, and
the Other very large, greyi'fli-green, with a reddilh, bread.
As the birds of that genus are commonly confined to the
warmer climates, we were much furprifed to find them in
the latitude of 46°, expofed to the raw rainy weather,
which
which the height of the mountains almoft conflantly pro-
duces in Dufky Bay.
The next day was fo rainy, that none of us could ven- Sunday is.
ture to ftir out of the floop; but the day after proving a
very fine one, my father went up the hill, along the courfe
of the brook, from which we filled our calks. About half
a mile upwards, through ferns, rotten trees, and thick
forefts, he came to a fine lake of frefh water nearly half
a mile in diameter. Its water was limpid and well tailed,.
but had acquired a brownifh.hue,, from the leaves of trees
which dropped into it on all fides; he obferved no other
inhabitant in it than a fmall fpecies of filh (efix), without
fcales, refembling a little trout; its colour was brown,
and mottled with yellowifh fpots in the lhape of fome
ancient Afiatic characters. The whole lake was fur-
rounded by a thick foreft, confining of the largeft trees,
and the mountains rofe all round it in a variety of forms.
The environs were deferted and filent, not the leaft note
of the common birds was heard, for it was rather cold
at this elevation; and not a fingle plant had blofloms..
The whole fcene was perfectly fitted to infpire a kind of.
pleafing melancholy, and to encourage hermit-meditation.
The fine weather induced our friends the natives to pay
us another vifit; they took up their quarters on the fame
fpot, where they had been this day fevennight, and when .
they were again invited to come on board, they promifed •
to