These Lights Were At One Time So Bright,
That We Could Discern Our Shadows On The Deck." - W.
It was thought proper to bring together all these similar remarks of
so accurate and faithful an observer.
There is reason to believe that
the southern lights had never been seen by any navigator before this
voyage of Cook's. - E.
[3] "The shapes of these large frozen masses, were frequently
singularly ruinous, and so far picturesque enough; among them we
passed one of a great size, with a hollow in the middle, resembling a
grotto or cavern, which was pierced through, and admitted the light
from the other side. Some had the appearance of a spire or steeple;
and many others gave full scope to our imagination, which compared
them to several known objects, by that means attempting to overcome
the tediousness of our cruise, which the sight of birds, porpoises,
seals, and whales, now too familiar to our eyes, could not prevent
from falling heavily upon us." - G.F.
[4] "One island of ice, which we passed in the afternoon, was near a
mile and a half long, and very high. It was calm most part of the
night, so that we found ourselves very near it in the morning, but
observed that several very large pieces had broke off from it. Many
great reports, like thunder, were heard in the night, which I conceive
were occasioned by these pieces breaking off." - W.
SECTION IV.
Transactions in Dusky Bay, with an Account of several Interviews with
the Inhabitants.
As I did not like the place we had anchored in, I sent Lieutenant
Pickersgill over to the S.E. side of the bay, to search for a better; and I
went myself to the other side, for the same purpose, where I met with an
exceedingly snug harbour, but nothing else worthy of notice. Mr Pickersgill
reported, upon his return, that he had found a good harbour, with every
conveniency. As I liked the situation of this, better than the other of my
own finding, I determined to go there in the morning. The fishing-boat was
very successful; returning with fish sufficient for all hands for supper;
and, in a few hours in the morning, caught as many as served for dinner.
This gave us certain hopes of being plentifully supplied with this article.
Nor did the shores and woods appear less destitute of wild fowl; so that we
hoped to enjoy with ease, what, in our situation, might be called the
luxuries of life. This determined me to stay some time in this bay, in
order to examine it thoroughly; as no one had ever landed before, on any of
the southern parts of this country.
On the 27th, at nine o'clock in the morning, we got under sail with a light
breeze at S.W., and working over to Pickersgill harbour, entered it by a
channel scarcely twice the width of the ship; and in a small creek, moored
head and stern, so near the shore as to reach it with a brow or stage,
which nature had in a manner prepared for us in a large tree, whose end or
top reached our gunwale.
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