Tuefday 6.
Wednef. 7.
In the evening, I went afhore to the watering-place, which
was at the head of a little creek, at a fine ftream that came
from the hills. It was neceffary to have a fmall boat in the
creek to convey the calks from and to the beach over which
they were rolled, and then put into the launch; as only a
fmall boat could enter the creek, and that only at high-
water. Excellent wood for fuel was here far more convenient
than water, but this was an article we did not want.
About feven o’clock this evening, died Simon Monk, our
butcher, a man much efteemed in the fhip; his death being
occafioned by a fall down the fore-hatch-way the preceding
night.
Early in the morning of the yth, the watering-party, and a
guard, under the command of an officer, were fent afhore ;
and foon after a party of us went to take a view o f the
country. As foon as we landed, we made known our defign
to the natives, and two of them undertaking to be our
guides, conduced ns up the hills by a tolerably good path.
In our route we met feveral people, moll of whom turned
back with us ; fo that at laft our train was numerous.
Some we met who wanted us to return ; but we paid no regard
to their figns, nor did they feem uneafy when we proceeded.
At length we reached the fummit of one of the
hills, from which we faw the fea in two places, between
fome advanced hills, o'n the oppofite, or S. W. fide of the land.
This was an ufeful difcovery, as it enabled us to judge of the
breadth of the land, which, in this part, did not exceed
ten leagues..
Between thofe advanced hills, and the ridge we were upon,
was a large valley, through which ran a ferpentine
river. On the banks of this were feveral plantations, and
| fome
fome villages, whole inhabitants we had met on the road, „ '774-
° September.
and found more on the top of the hill gazing at the Ihip, as — r— /
might be fuppofed. The plain, or flat land, which lies along M' 7‘
the Ihore we were upon, appeared from the hills to great
advantage ; the winding ftreams which ran through it, the
plantations, the little ftraggling villages, the variety in the
woods, and the fhoals on the coaft, fo variegating the fcene,
that the whole might afford a pidlure for romance. Indeed,
if it were not for thofe fertile fpots on the plains, and fome
few on the fides of the mountains, the whole country might
be called a dreary wafte. The mountains, and other high
places, are, for the moft part, incapable of cultivation, con-
fifting chiefly of rocks, many of which are full of mun-
dicks. The little foil that is upon them is feorched and
burnt up with the fun ; it is, neverthelefs, coated with
coarfe grafs and other plants, and here and there trees and
ihrubs. The country, in general, bore great refemblance to
fome pans of New Holland under the fame parallel o f latitude,
feveral of its natural productions fee ming to be the fame,,
and the woods being without underwood, as in that country.
The reefs on the coaft, and feveral other fimilarities, were obvious
to every one who had feen both countries. We ob-
ferved all the N. E. coaft to be covered with fhoals and
breakers, extending to the northward, beyond the ifle of
Balabea, till they were loft in the horizon. Having made-
thefe obfervations, and our guides not chufing to go farther,
we defeended the mountains by a road different from
that by which we afeended. This brought us down
through fome of their plantations in the plains, which I
obferved were laid out with great judgment, and cultivated,
with much labour. Some of them were lying in fallow
fome feemingly lately laid down; and others of longer date,,
pieces.