In This Expedition We Shot Forty-
Four Birds, Sea-Pies, Ducks, &C., Without Going One Foot Out Of Our Way, Or
Causing Any Other Delay Than Picking Them Up.
Having got the tents, and every other article on board on the 28th, we only
now waited for a wind to carry us out of the harbour, and through New
Passage, the way I proposed to go to sea.
Every thing being removed from
the shore, I set fire to the top-wood, &c., in order to dry a piece of the
ground we had occupied, which, next morning, I dug up, and sowed with
several sorts of garden seeds. The soil was such as did not promise success
to the planter; it was, however, the best we could find. At two o clock in
the afternoon, we weighed with a light breeze at S.W., and stood up the bay
for the New Passage. Soon after we had got through, between the east end of
Indian Island and the west end of Long Island, it fell calm, which obliged
us to anchor in forty-three fathom water, under the north side of the
latter island.
In the morning of the 30th we weighed again with a light breeze at west,
which, together with all our boats a-head towing, was hardly sufficient to
stem the current. For, after struggling till six o'clock in the evening,
and not getting more than five miles from our last anchoring-place, we
anchored under the north side of Long Island, not more than one hundred
yards from the shore, to which we fastened a hawser.
At day-light next morning, May 1st, we got again under sail, and attempted
to work to windward, having a light breeze down the bay. At first we gained
ground, but at last the breeze died away; when we soon lost more than we
had got, and were obliged to bear up for a cove on the north side of Long
Island, where we anchored in nineteen fathom water, a muddy bottom: In this
cove we found two huts not long since inhabited; and near them two very
large fire-places or ovens, such as they have in the Society Isles. In this
cove we were detained by calms, attended with continual rain, till the 4th
in the afternoon, when, with the assistance of a small breeze at south-
west, we got the length of the reach or passage leading to sea. The breeze
then left us, and we anchored under the east point, before a sandy beach,
in thirty fathoms water; but this anchoring-place hath nothing to recommend
it like the one we came from, which hath every thing in its favour.
In the night we had some very heavy squalls of wind, attended with rain,
hail, and snow, and some thunder. Daylight exhibited to our view all the
hills and mountains covered with snow. At two o'clock in the afternoon, a
light breeze sprung up at S.S.W., which, with the help of our boats,
carried us down the passage to our intended anchor-place, where, at eight
o'clock, we anchored in sixteen fathoms water, and moored with a hawser to
the shore, under the first point on the starboard side as you come in from
sea, from which we were covered by the point.
In the morning of the 6th, I sent Lieutenant Pickersgill, accompanied by
the two Mr Forsters, to explore the second arm which turns in to the east,
myself being confined on board by a cold. At the same time I had every
thing got up from between decks, the decks well cleaned and well aired with
fires; a thing that ought never to be long neglected in wet moist weather.
The fair weather, which had continued all this day, was succeeded in the
night by a storm from north-west, which blew in hard squalls, attended with
rain, and obliged us to strike top-gallant and lower yards, and to carry
out another hawser to the shore. The bad weather continued the whole day
and the succeeding night, after which it fell calm with fair weather.
At seven in the morning, on the 8th, Mr Pickersgill returned, together with
his companions, in no very good plight, having been at the head of the arm
he was sent to explore, which he judged to extend in to the eastward about
eight miles. In it is a good anchoring-place, wood, fresh water, wild fowl,
and fish. At nine o'clock I set out to explore the other inlet, or the one
next the sea; and ordered Mr Gilbert, the master, to go and examine the
passage out to sea, while those on board were getting every thing in
readiness to depart. I proceeded up the inlet till five o'clock in the
afternoon, when bad weather obliged me to return before I had seen the end
of it. As this inlet lay nearly parallel with the sea-coast, I was of
opinion that it might communicate with Doubtful Harbour, or some other
inlet to the northward. Appearances were, however, against this opinion,
and the bad weather hindered me from determining the point, although a few
hours would have done it. I was about ten miles up, and thought I saw the
end of it: I found on the north side three coves, in which, as also on the
south side, between the main and the isles that lie four miles up the
inlet, is good anchorage, wood, water, and what else can be expected, such
as fish and wild fowl: Of the latter, we killed in this excursion, three
dozen. After a very hard row, against both wind and rain, we got on board
about nine o'clock at night, without a dry thread on our backs.
This bad weather continued no longer than till the next morning, when it
became fair, and the sky cleared up. But, as we had not wind to carry us to
sea, we made up two shooting parties; myself, accompanied by the two
Mr. Forsters and some others, went to the area I was in the day before;
and the other party to the coves and isles Mr Gilbert had discovered when
he was out, and where he found many wild fowl.
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