»77 SJanuary,
■ .. - (pUXBtl VMToJes '■
*AQgoou svSwriv, -uroXirig ctXog t%xvu#v<rM}
Ihxtov »v.omtiwcu d\ot,TroAuCsvOfos otfjWtiv. HoMER.
Webfooted feals- forfake the whitening waves,
.And fleep in herds, exhaling naufeous flench.
Rowing along fhore, we fell in with a fpot where
feveral thoufand fhags had built their nefts, on thofe elevated
tufts which I have mentioned before. -Here was an
opportunity to provide the whole Ihip’s company with a
frefli meal, which was not neglected. The birds were for
the greateft part fo tame, as to let our boat’s crew come
among them with clubs and Saves ; by which means
feveral hundreds of them were killed. On this day’ s ex-
cuxfion we found a bird of a new genus, which was of the
fize of a pigeon, and perfectly white. It belonged to the
clafs of wading.water-fowl, its toes were half webbed, and
its eyes, as well as -the bafe of the bill, furrounded by many
little white glands or warts. It had fuch an horrid offensive
fmell, that we could not tafte the flefh, though at
this time we were not eafily difgufied. Captain Cook ob-
ferved the latitude on the eaft end of the ifland, which was
a barren rock wholly covered with herds of feals, flocks of
gulls, fhags, and other animals. We returned to dine on
board, and then fpent the afternoon upon the ifland again.
We fhot there feveral geefe, amongft which was a new
fpecies
fpecies; and were not lefs fuccefsful among a flock of
pinguins, than we had been among the fhags in the
morning. They were of the fize of fmall geefe, and of
that fpecies which is the moft common in thé neighbourhood
of the Straits of Magelhaens. The Englifh at the
Ealkland Iflands have named them jumping-jacks *. They
fleep very found, for Dr. Sparrman met one of them, which
he kicked feveral yards by accidentally Humbling over it,
without breaking its fleep, till by repeatedly Shaking the
bird, it awoke. When the whole flock was befet, they all
became very bold at once, and ran violently at us, biting;
our legs, or any part of our clothes. They are exceflively
hard-lived, for" having left a great number of them, feem-
ingly dead on the field of battle, and going in the purfuit
of the reft, they all at once got up, and walked off with-
great gravity- The feals and fea-lions were likewife killed
with great difficulty, but their fnout was by far the moft.
fenfible part. Dr. Sparrman, and myfelf, were near being:
attacked by one of the oldeft fea-bears, on a cliff where
feveral hundreds lay affembled, which all feemed to wait
the iffue of the fight. The Doftor had difcharged his
mufket at a bird, and was going to pick it up, when this
old bear growled and fnarled, and feemed ready to oppofe
him. As foon as I was near enough, I fhot the furly creature
dead, and at that inftant the whole herd, feeing their
* See Phil. Tranf.. vol. L X V I , part. i.
champion