December, falcons and other birds of prey. I would only hint this as
a fuppofition which requires farther confirmation; perhaps
our underftanding is , much too fhort-fighted to affign, on
fuch flight grounds, the true ways of Divine Providence in
the wonderful works of the creation.
After we had returned on board, lieutenant Pickerfgill
arrived, who had met with a cove on the eaftern fhore of
the found, where a prodigious number of geefe had taken
up their refidence. Captain Cook being defirous to procure
fome kind of refrefliment for his people, and to enable them
to fpend tbeir Chriftmas-day with chearfulnefs, proceeded
towards that place the next morning, and fent Mr. Pickerfgill
thither in another boat by a different route. My father.
Dr. Sparrman, myfelf, and one midfhipman, accompanied
the captain in the pinnace. We flood out to fea, along an
ifland to the eaft of the fhip, which lay between us and the
Goofe Cove. It happened very fortunately that we took
this courfe, without which we fhould probably have made
a very unfuccefsful exctirfion. But along the whole fouth-
ern extremity of the ifland, extending at leaft four or five
miles, we faw prodigious numbers of geefe, which fuffered
us to .come clofe to them. We perceived that they were,
for the greateft p.art, young birds of the laft year’s brood,
which moulted their feathers in this place, and having lofl
their quill-feathers, could not fly to any great diftance. If
WO had been apprifed of this circ.umftance at firft, we
might
.might have taken greater fpoils than we did ; however, DHCEMBEB.
after toiling till funfet, we had collated no lefs than fixty-
three geefe, which enabled us to give a frefli meal to every
man on board. The fport of the day was extremely entertaining
; for though the objeft of our million was variety,
yet our principles were not yet fufficiently fanftified, to re-
fufe a good meal when it was offered *. We found many -
deep caverns in the rock, which vaulted fometimes thirty
yards over our heads; and -the fwell being rather moderate,
we could often enter into thefe dark places with the boat,
and were always amply rewarded for our trouble by meeting
with a number of birds. Several of thefe caverns were
forty or fifty yards in length, and the rocky wails, about
their entrance, were commonly the abode of Ihags, to which
we paid no attention at prefent. The flate of which many
of thefe rocks eonfift had likewife huge chafms and crevices,
which commonly proved fatal to the geefe, as they
could feldom fly over, but fell between them, and were
taken up alive by our failors, to whom this employment
was an inexhauftible fund of diverfion. It was late
in the evening when we arrived on board, where we found
lieutenant Pickerfgill, who had difeovered a fmall ifland in
his way, almoft entirely covered with the eggs of fea fwal-
lows or terns. He brought away about three hundred of
.them, which were in general very fit to be eaten.
* See Hawkefworth, vol. III. p. 502.
V o l . II. S s s During