{ PI )
jbbur. The poundings were Jrom .17 to 10,. 6 and fathoms?
the bottom muddy, but in' the shoals fsandy, which -‘generally
Was the'jCase when wieqbdtdver to’ tile wegfom' ^ide.^ Before
leaving this place I will endeavour tq^dbcyant for £ |^ |
At half past fiyb.P. M. came^tepau anchoring six,and a half
fathoms of water, fine sand, and .abreast of a sand^-pbjbjtjbllj$|-
ing W. three .quarters p f ,a mile, which I named Lady ]S|elson§
Point, as'a memorial -of—thc^esSe^ias shfe was- the first decked
one tha1fqytf; entered this port:?,*
As the; sun .crossed' tfe^i Equator^ day'to the northward,
and heavy weather might be expected, I was glad to find a harbour,
that could afford us good> shelter. .
Mr. Barreillier went on .shore with the second mate, 1 and on
their .^return „they „brought two .ducJfs.and a black «wan which
they had , shot. They saw plenty„of black swans# ahd. red bills§?
an aquatic: bird so called, .whose back is .black, the breast white,
beak red, and feet not full webbed. I t is an ..expedient. eating
fowl, much resembling in flavour, a wild .duck, and nearly^ofthe
same «me.-< ^
.On Sunday the^2d, or according to:nur?sea^aCG'ountitlm;S3d,1
it. being past twelve-„o,cloekTat noon, I went with- tw.o off our.
crewiin the smallest boat to..search .for.a river^0$,stream,
sqribed by Mr. Bass, at th e head,of thebtarbour, where fresh
Water was to b§ gotf* As a, considerable track appeared to be
perfectly .dry , at low water a . short distance from, th% vessel
across the harbour, With only,small channels,in some parts of
it, I found.it necessary to explore and* sound the, best passage,
sp as ,to„haye it nlways in o’Ur power, if possible, to.-get through,
the muddy flat. Pelicans and albatrosses in great numbers
visitithis flat, previous, to f its being left dry at low .waterj to pick
up., their food. Im proceeding along the shore, I fell in with an
island, pleasantly,situated, and separated from the Main by a
very
(•; m )
#fery ha'riow^channel at^ow.water, but then sufficient for
a bQ 'a t'^ ^ a s s f ib b h y h ''m u c h v $ h e h the tide is in. I passed
through if -and^lhW^on the islaMUcfWariM fh>f^ : ^nd W. ft
is'of ^gradual' a considerable
ihefeh’t j and' mu#Mn'derWpbd$* The ('situation of it was so pleasant,
‘an^thepfO&pbfets round it%© agreeable, t h a t t o g e t h e r
^Ith th^jhMeWof'thfehyoil, and the'UhetterCd'position g the
it was excellently adapted
fowagallin. Having determined .upon establishing a garden
in'this plb,q4ilLtliought it inOTmbenti|pe^mp to gi^h the island
fh^^sCmh 6 f [ Churchill, •after^^4^|duSl,bndJpubli^®pirited
©entiemhh^o'lh^Churchill, Esq. of Dawleislll^im^1^ county
of^icvbn,-who,on my‘leaving England, I supplied? me with a
variety;, o’fisOeds b f |^ £ d ! vegetablesftbgether with tiieg." stones
of '^peaches,vsnectatines, and the', pepins' or kernels of Several
Sorts1'' of ap’p lls f Wh$i an'injunction to p la n t them for the futu
re beifl&BWaur* fellbw4iem<> be they^Oofhtry’men,\ Europeans
or S^vaglk^ I had, moreover,‘.been 'furnished With'many
. i i e t f for the like liberal purposes, by my friend^stpt. Schank';
'b u b le t me* mot omit the pepih of an apple, differing from all
other fruit qf the kind, in, having ra ^ ly more thamonfe p^pin in
W b appletg I hope th e name I gave with it im lf ^ 'H qU y id
will mot be'forgotten «(Lady Elizabeth Percy’s Apple) should it
happen* to prove d common fruit of the countly^as it was owing
to her Ladyship’s care and attention in preparing the*- pepinsi
that I was enabled to introduce,dt. Whatever i f for th e benefit
of mankind cannot be of indifference*'. L therefore think I need
make no apology to*the,feeling reader for this short digression.
From several good ^observations, I found Western Port to life
. in hit. 38° 32' S. and-that by the Chronomfeter- its .longitude was-
.146° 19' to-the eastward- of Greenwich. ,
- I found in Churchill’s Island'-seyeral holes of large size, appa>.
rentiy