oaafa 4101 unlike the pimento of the Weft Indies, in fhape, appearance,
and aromatic 'flavor o f the "foliage; and in the .hard and clofe texture of
the wood, Which makes an excellent and pteafkrrt fire, burning cheerfully
yfet eonfriming flow; whilft, from the finoke, a very fprcy agreeable
fragrance is exhaled. Thefe do -not, in general, grow to large timbers ;
but there 'is another fpecies much ïefeffibling them, with rather broader
leaves, and poffeffing like them an aromatic flavor, which grow to a com
fiderable flue. Thefe, with a fpecies not unlike the filver tree o f the
c&pe Of Good I f ope, were the trees that were found generally to com-
pofe the foreff
For the benefit o f thofe who Miay wtfit! the country heredfeer, fötóevine-
cuttmgs and wUtet-erefles were planted' on the fe n d in ©yffier Harbour,
and at the place from whence we "procured oar fuel; and an affortment df
garden feeds, with Come almonds, orange, lemon and pumkin feeds were
fown. The whole being the produce of Africa, I Ihould have entertained
little doubt o f their fuocefi, bad it not been, that there ‘was much to
apprehend in their being over-run by the natural productions of the
country.
O f tire animal kingdom, To far :as relates to the tenants of the earth,
little information was derived. The only quadruped feen was one dead
kangaroo ; the dung, however, o f thefe or feme, other animals feeding
oh vegetables, was almoift every where met with, and frequently fo frefh
■ as to indicate that the animal could not be :far removed.
O f the birds that live in or refort to the woods, the vulture may be
ifaid to b e the moll common, as we faw feveral of this fpecies, or at
lead, birds that were fo confidered. Hawks of the falcon tribe, with feveral
others o f that genus; a bird much refembling the Englifh crow,
parrots, parroquets, and a variety of fmall birds, fome of which fung
Vety melodioufly, were thofe which attracted our attention the moll ;
hut all were fo exceffively wild and watchful, that few fpecimens could be
.procured. O f the water fowl, the black fwan feemed as numerous as
any other fpecies of aquatic birds in the neighbourhood of Gyfter Harbour,
but they were feen in c no other place. There were alfo black and
white pelicans of a large fort, feen at a diftance; and though ducks were
in
in great numbers, we were very unfuccefsful in taking them. A very
peculiar one was Ihot, of a darkilh grey plumage, with a b.ag like that j--- v—
o f a lizard hanging under its throat; which fmelt fo intolerably o f nurfk
that it feented nearly the whole Chip. There were alfo many grey curlews,
and fea-pies ; o f the latter we procured a few, which were .excellent
eating. The aquatic birds before enumerated, with fhags, the oom-
mon gull, two or three forts of tern, and a few fmall penguins o f a
b'lueflh colour, included the whole -of the feathered tribe in the vicinity
©f the fhores.
With the produftions of the fea, we were not much more acquainted;
which is rather to be attributed to our want of fkall as filhermen than to
its want o f bounty. Some of the few filh we caught were very excellent,
particularly o f the larger fo r t ; one much refembling the fnook,
and another the calipevar of Jamaica, both of high flavor; as was a
kind of fifh not unlike, nor inferior in quality to, the Englilh red mullet.
Thefe, with the common white mullet, rock fifh, mackerel, herrings,
and a variety of fmall fifh, were thofe we procured, though not in any
abundance.
Whilft on the eoalt, whales and feals were frequently playing about
-the.{hip; of the latter, we faw about a fcore at one time on Seal Ifland.
The little trouble thefe animals took to avoid us, indicated their not being
accuftomed to fuch v-ifitors. The throat and belly of thefe feals,
which were of a large fort, were nearly white; between the head and
fhoulders, the neck rifes in a kind of creft, which, with the back, was'Of
a light brown colour; their hair was exceedingly coarfe; the carcafe very
poor, and afforded little blubber ; which, however, may be imputable to
the feafon.
Reptiles and noxious animals feemed by no means to be numerous,
as only two or three yellow, and bronze-coloured fnakes were feen, which '
were good eating; thefe, with a few lizards of the common fort, and
fome about eight or nine inches long of a thick Clumfy make, dark colour,
and altogether exceffively ugly, were what compofed that race-of animals.
Some beautiful beetles, common flies, and mulkitoes, were occafionally
met with, but not in fuch numbers as to produce inconvenience.
It