whose volubility of tongue exceeded everything I ever met with, gave us a dance; but the man viewed us with great attention.

SEAL-HUNTING.

In the afternoon of the 21st April, I went with a party out to the isles on seal-hunting. The surf run so high that we could only land in one place, where we killed ten. These animals served us for three purposes: the skins we made use of for our rigging; the fat gave oil for our lamps; and the flesh we ate. Their harslets (liver) are equal to that of a hog, and the flesh of some of them eats little inferior to beef-steaks.

WATERSPOUTS.

After leaving Dusky Bay, I directed my course along shore for Queen Charlotte's Sound, where I expected to find the Adventure," and met with nothing worthy of notice till the 17th May. Being then about three leagues to the westward of Cape Stephens, having a gentle gale and clear weather, the wind at once flattened to a calm, the sky became suddenly obscured by dark, dense clouds, and seemed to forebode much wind. This occasioned us to clew up all our sails, and presently after, six waterspouts were seen. Four rose and spent themselves between us and the land; that is, to the S.W. of us; the fifth was without us; the sixth first appeared in the S.W. at the distance of two or three miles at least from us. Its progressive motion was to the N.E., not in a straight, but in a crooked line, and passed within fifty yards of our stern, without our feeling any of its effects. The diameter of the base of this spout I judged to be about fifty or sixty feet; that is, the sea within this space was

much agitated, and foamed up to a great height. From this a tube or round body was formed, by which the water or air, or both, was carried in a spiral stream up to the clouds. Some of

our people said they saw a bird in the one near ns; which was whirled round like the fly of a jack as it was carried upwards. During the time these spouts lasted, we had, now and then, light puffs of wind from all points of the compass; with some few slight showers of rain, which generally fell in large drops; and the weather continued thick and hazy for some hours after, with

variable light breezes of wind. At length the wind fixed in its old point, and the sky resumed its former serenity. Some of these spouts appeared, at times, to be stationary; and, at other times, to have a quick, but very unequal, progressive motion, and always in a crooked line, sometimes one way, and sometimes another; so that, once or twice, we observed them to cross one another. From the ascending motion of the bird, and several other circumstances, it was very plain to us that these spouts were caused by whirlwinds, and that the water in them was violently hurried upwards, and did not descend from the clouds, as I have heard some assert. The first appearance of them is by the violent agitation and rising up of the water; and, presently after, you see a round column or tube forming from the clouds above, which apparently descends till it joins the agitated water below. I say apparently, because I believe it not to be so in reality, but that the tube is already formed from the agitated water below, and ascends, though at first it is either too small or too thin to be seen. When the tube is formed, or becomes visible, its apparent diameter increases, until it is pretty large; after that it decreases, and at last it breaks or becomes invisible towards the lower part. Soon after the sea below resumes its natural state, and the tube is drawn, by little and little, up to the clouds, where it is dissipated. The same tube would sometimes have a vertical, and sometimes a crooked or inclined direction. The most rational account I have read of waterspouts is in Falconer's Marine Dictionary, which is chiefly collected from the philosophical writings of the ingenious Dr. Franklin. I have been told that the firing of a gun will dissipate them, and I am very sorry I did not try the experiment, as we were near enough, and had a gun ready for the purpose; but, as soon as the danger

was past, I thought no more about it, being too attentive in viewing these extraordinary meteors.

The wind having returned to the west, we resumed our course to the east; and at daylight of the 18th, we appeared off Queen Charlotte's Sound, where we discovered our consort the "Adventure," by the signals which she made to us; an event which, after a separation of fourteen weeks, every one felt with agreeable satisfaction.

A MAN'S HEAD.

Captain Furneaux in the account of his voyage, since parting with the "Resolution," mentioned that, in clearing a place on Motuara Island for erecting tents for the sick, he was visited by three canoes with about sixteen of the natives: and to induce them to bring fish and other provisions he gave them several things, with which they seemed highly pleased. One of the young officers, seeing something wrapped up in a better manner than common, had the curiosity to examine what it was; and, to his great surprise, found it to be the head of a man lately killed. They were very apprehensive of its being forced from them; and particularly the man who seemed most interested in it, whose very flesh crept on his bones, for fear of being punished, as I had expressed great abhorrence of this unnatural act. They used every method to conceal the head, by shifting it from one to another; and by signs endeavouring to convince us that there was no such thing amongst them, though we had seen it but a few minutes before.

I now gave Captain Furneaux an account in writing of the route I intended to take; which was to proceed to the east, between the latitudes of 41° and 46° south, until I arrived in the

longitude of 140° or 135° west; then, provided no land was discovered, to proceed to Otaheite; from thence back to this place by the shortest route; and after taking in wood and water, to proceed to the south, and explore all the unknown parts of the sea between the meridian of New Zealand and Cape Horn; therefore, in case of separation before we reached Otaheite, I appointed that island for the place of rendezvous, where he was to wait till the twentieth of August: if not joined by me before that time, he was then to make the best of his way back to Queen Charlotte's Sound, where he was to wait until the 20th of November; after which (if not joined by me), he was to put to sea, and carry into execution their Lordships' instructions.

Some may think it an extraordinary step in me to proceed on discoveries as far south as 46 degrees of latitude, in the very depth of winter. But though it must be owned that winter is by no means favourable for discoveries, it nevertheless appeared to me necessary that something should be done in it, in order to lessen the work I was upon, lest I should not be able to finish the discovery of the southern part of the South Pacific Ocean the ensuing summer. Besides, if I should discover any land in my route to the east, I should be ready to begin, with the summer, to explore it. Setting aside all these considerations, I had little to fear; having two good ships well provided, and healthy crews. Where then could I spend my time better? If I did nothing more, I was at least in hopes of being able to point out to posterity that these seas may be navigated, and that it is practicable to go on discoveries, even in the very depth of winter.

On the 7th of June 1773, at four in the morning, the wind being favourable, we unmoored, and at seven weighed and put to sea, with the "Adventure" in company.