'773' We left them to amufe themfelves in the other parts of the
A pril.
fhip, and fet out in two boats, with the captain and feve-
ral officers, to examine a long inlet which ran to the eaft-
ward, in fight of our cove. In proportion as we receded
from the fea, we found the mountains much higher, more
fteep, and barren: the trees gradually diminiffied in height
and circumference, and dwindled to Ihrubs, contrary to
what is obferved in other parts of the world, where the inland
countries have finer forefts and better timber than the
fea ffiores. The interior ranges of mountains called the
Southern Alps, appeared very diftinCtly, of a great height,
and covered with fnow on their fummits. We palled by'a
number of lhady ifiands, which contained little coves and
rivulets ; and on one of the projecting points, oppofite the
laft ifland, we faw a fine cafcade falling into the water,
over a fteep rock, clothed with thick bullies and. trees. The
water was perfectly calm, poliffied, and tranfparent; the
landfcape was diftinCtly reflected in it, and the various romantic
lhapes of the fteep mountains, contrafted in different
maffes of light and lhade, had an admirable effeCt. About
noon we put into a fmall cove, where we caught fome filh,
and Ihot a few birds. From thence wo rowed again till
dulk, when we entered a fine cove, at the extremity of this
long arm, and were obliged to take up our quarters on
the firft beach we could land upon, after being prevented
by Ihoals from proceeding to the head of the cove. There
we
we thought we perceived fomething fimilar to a fmoke, but
finding nothing to confirm this opinion, and efpecially
feeing no fire at night, we readily acquiefced in the idea of
having been deceived by fome mifty vapour, or other object,
which we might have indiftinCtly feen. We prepared
with great alacrity to pafs the night here, and no one was
excepted from his talk on thefe occafions. As it may be
curious to know the nature of our marooning parties, as
our feamen called them, I lhall here give fome account of.
our proceedings this night. Having found a.beach to land,
on, with a brook, and a wood clofe to it, our firft care was.
to bring on Chore the oars, fails, cloaks, guns, hatchets, &c..
not forgetting a little keg. of fpr.uce-beer,. and perhaps a.
bottle of ftrong liquor-. The boats were next fecured at a.
grappling, and with a rope made fall to. a tree on Chore.
Some of us were then bulled in collecting dry pieces of
wood for fuel, which in fuch a wet country as New Zee-
land, was fometimes very difficult; fome ereCted a tent or
wigwam, made of the oars and fails together with ftrong
branches of trees, in a convenient dry fpot, Iheltered as.
much, as poffible, in cafe of wind and rain. Others lighted
the fire in front of the tent, by burning fome oakum,.
in which they had previoully rubbed a quantity of gunpowder.
The preparations for fupper were, very fhort::
fome of the failors cleaned our fiffies, Ikinned the water-
fowl, fplit, and laftly broiled them ; when they were drefled,