Having made fome havock among thefe creatures, we
walked upon the fummit of the ifland, which was nearly
level, but covered with innumerable little mounds of earth,
on each of which grew a large tuft of grafs (daStyiis ghmerata).
The intervals between thefe tufts were very muddy and
dirty, which obliged us to leap from one tuft to the other.
We foon difcovered that another kind of feals occupied this
part of the ifland, and caufed the mud by coming wet out
of the fea. Thefe were no other than the fea-bears which
we had already feen at Du iky Bay, 'but which were here
infinitely more numerous, and grown to a much larger
fize, equalling that affigncd to them by Steller. They are
however far inferior to the fea-lions, the males being never
above eight or nine feet king, and thick in proportion.
Their hair is dark brown, minutely fprinkled with grey,
and much longer on the whole body than that of the
fea-lion, but does not form a mane. The general outline
of the body, and the ihape of the fins are exadlly the fame.
They were more fierce towards us, and their females commonly
died in defence of their young. Great numbers of
a fpecies of vultures, commonly called carrion crows by
the failors (vultur aura), were feen upon this ifland, and
probably feed on young feal-cubs, which either die in the
birth, or which they take an opportunity to feize upon,
Befides them we alfo found a. new fpecies of hawks, and
feveral
feveral geefe of the fort which had fo well furnifiied out
our Chriftmas entertainment. Here we likewife faw a few
pinguins, of a fpecies which we had not met with before,
fome large grey petrels of the fize of albatrofles, being the
fame fpecies which the Spaniards name que branta-buejjos, or
the bone-breakers, and fome fliags.
The new year began with a very fair day, though it
blew frefh, and the air was fharp. A boat was difpatched
to New Year’s harbour,' to found and furvey it, but as lieutenant
Pickerfgill had orders not to make any flay on fliore,
we did not accompany him, choofing rather to take another
turn on the new ifland with captain Cook. The
flrata of this ifland, confided of a. yellowifh clay-ftone, and
fometimes of a grey flate, both which were of different
degrees of hardnefs, in different places. We fell in with
many herds of fea-bears, and fea-lions, which we did not
attack, as another party was fent out upon that errand.
We obferved however, that thefe two fpecies, though fometimes
encamped on the fame beach, always kept at a great
diftance afunder, and had no communication with each
other. A ftrong rank flench is common to them, as well
as to all other feals-, a circumftance as well known to the
ancients, as their inactivity and drowfinefs whilft they he
on (hore.
1775*
January".
Sunday i-.
-Ç0XCU