1770. March. times when we anchored in Cook's Streight, every mess in the fhip, that was not careless and improvident, falted as much as lafted many weeks after they went to fea. Of this article, the variety was equal to the plenty: we had mackarel of many kinds, among which, one was exactly the fame as we have in England; thefe came in immenfe fhoals, and were taken by the natives in their feines, who fold them to us at a very eafy rate. Befides thefe, there were fish of many fpecies, which we had never feen before, but to all which the feamen very readily gave names; fo that we talked here as familiarly of hakes, bream, cole-fish, and many others, as we do in England; and, though they are by no means of the fame family, it must be confeffed, that they do honour to the name. But the highest luxury which the fea affords us, even in this place, was the lobster, or fea cray-fish, which are probably the fame that in the account of Lord Anfon's Voyage are faid to have been found at the island of Juan Fernandes, except that, although large, they are not quite equal in fize; they differ from ours in England in feveral particulars, they have a greater number of prickles on their backs, and they are red when first taken out of the water these we bought alfo every where to the northward in great quantities of the natives, who catch them by diving near the fhore, and finding out where they lie with their feet. We had alfo a fish that Frezier, in his Voyage to the Spanish Main, in South America, has defcribed by the names of Elefant, Pejegallo, or Poifon coq, which, though coarfe, we eat very heartily. Several fpecies of the fkate, or ftingray, are alfo found here, which are ftill coarfer than the elefant; but, as an atonement, we had among many kinds of dog-fish, one fpotted with white, which was in flavour exactly fimilar to our best skate, but much more delicious. We had alfo flat fish refembling both foles and flounders, befides eels and congers of various kinds, with many others, of which thofe who fhall hereafter vifit this coat will not fail to find the advantage, and fhell-fish in great variety, particularly clams, cockles, and oysters. : Among March. Among the vegetable productions of this country, 1770. the trees claim a principal place; for here are forefts of vast extent, full of the straightest, the cleaneft, and Trees, the largest timber-trees that we had ever feen; their plaats, &c. fize, their grain, and apparent durability, render them fit for any kind of building, and indeed for every other purpose except masts, for which, as I have already obferved, they are too hard and too heavy; there is one in particular which, when we were upon the coast, was rendered conspicuous by a scarlet flower, that feemed to be a compendage of many fibres; it is about as large as an oak, and the wood is exceedingly hard and heavy, and excellently adapted to the ufe of the millwright there is another which grows in the swamps, remarkably tall and straight, thick enough to make mafts for velfels of any fize, and, if a judgment may be formed by the direction of its grain, very tough. This, which, as has been before remarked, our Carpenter thought to refemble the pitch-pine, may probably be lightened by tapping, and it will then make the finest masts in the world; it has a leaf not unlike a yew, and bears berries in fmall bunches. Great part of this country is covered with a luxuriant verdure; and our natural hiftorians were gratified by the novelty, if not the variety of the plants. Sowthiftle, garden night-fhade, one or two kinds of grass, the fame as in England, and two or three kinds of fern, like those of the West Indies, with a few of the plants that are to be found in almost every part of the world, were all, out of about four hundred fpecies, that have hitherto been defcribed by any botanists, or had been feen elsewhere during the courfe of this voyage, except. about five or fix which had been gathered at Terra del Fuego. Of eatable vegetables there are but few; our people, indeed, who had been long at fea, eat with equal pleasure and advantage of wild celery, and a kind of creffes, which grew in great abundance upon all parts, of the fea fhore. We alfo, once or twice, met with a plant like what the country people in England call Lambs quarters, or Fathen, which we boiled instead of greens; and once we had the good fortune to find a. cabbage-tree, which afforded us a delicious meal; and, 1770. except the fern-root, and one other vegetable, totally March. unknown in Europe, and which, though eaten by the natives, was extremely difagreeable to us, we found no other vegetable production that was fit for food, among thofe that appeared to be the wild produce of the country; and we could find but three efculent plants among thofe which are raised by cultivation, yams, sweet potatoes, and coccos. Of the yams and potatoes there are plantations confifting of many acres, and I believe that any fhip which should happen to be here in the autumn, when they are dug up, might purchase them in any quantity. Gourds are alfo cultivated by the natives of this place, the fruit of which furnishes them with veffels for various uses. We also found here the Chinese paper mulberry-tree, the fame as that of which the inhabitants of the South Sea islands make their cloth; but it is fo fcarce, that though the new Zealanders also make cloth of it, they have not enough for any other purpose than to wear as an ornament in the holes which they make in their ears, as I have obferved before. But among all the trees, fhrubs, and plants of this country, there is not one that produces fruit, except a berry which has neither sweetness nor flavour, and which none but the boys took pains to gather, fhould be honoured with that appellation. There is, however, a plant that serves the inhabitants instead of hemp and flax, which excels all that are put to the fame purpofes in other countries: of this plant there are two forts; the leaves of both resemble those of flags, but the flowers are smaller, and their clusters more numerous; in one kind they are yellow, and in the other a deep red. Of the leaves of these plants, with very little preparation, they make all their common apparel; and of these they make alfo their ftrings, lines, and cordage for every purpose, which are fo much ftronger than any thing we can make with hemp, that they will not bear a comparison. From the fame plant, by another preparation, they draw long flender fibres which fhine like filk, and are as white as fnow; of thefe, which are alfo furprizingly ftrong, the finer clothes are made; and of the leaves, without any other preparation than splitting them into proper breadths, and March. and tying the strips together, they make their fishing 1770. nets; fome of which, as I have before remarked, are of an enormous fize. A plant, which with fuch advantage might be applied to fo many useful and important purpofes, would certainly be a great acquisition to England, where it would probably thrive with very little trouble, as it feems to be hardy, and to affect no particular foil; being found equally in hill and valley; in the driest mould, and the deepest bogs: the bog, however, it seems rather to prefer, as near such places we obferved it to be larger than elsewhere. I have already obferved, that we found great plenty of iron fand in Mercury Bay, and therefore that iron ore is undoubtedly to be found at no great distance. As to other metals, we had scarcely knowledge enough of the country for conjecture. If the fettling of this country fhould ever be thought an object worthy the attention of Great Britain, the best place for establishing a colony would be either on the banks of the Thames, or in the country bordering on the Bay of Islands. In either place there would be the advantage of an excellent harbour; and, by means of the river, fettlements might be extended, and a communication established with the inland parts of the country: vessels might be built of the fine tim ber which abounds in these parts, at very little trouble and expence, fit for fuch a navigation as would answer the purpose. I cannot indeed exactly affign the depth of water which a veffel intended to navigate this river, even as far up as I went with the boat, should draw, because this depends upon the depth of water that is upon the bar, or flats, which lie before the narrow part of the river, for I had no opportunity to make myfelf acquainted with them; but I am of opinion, that a veffel which fhould draw not more than twelve feet would perfectly anfwer the purpose. When we first arrived upon the coast of this country, we imagined it to be much better peopled than we afterwards found it, concluding that the inland parts. were populous from the fmoke that we faw at a confiderable diftance from the fhore; and perhaps that may 1770. March. except the fern-root, and one other vegetable, totally unknown in Europe, and which, though eaten by the natives, was extremely difagreeable to us, we found no other vegetable production that was fit for food, among those that appeared to be the wild produce of the country; and we could find but three efculent plants among thofe which are raised by cultivation yams, sweet potatoes, and coccos. Of the yams an potatoes there are plantations consisting of many acres and I believe that any fhip which should happen to b here in the autumn, when they are dug up, might pu chase them in any quantity. Gourds are alfo cultivated by the natives of this plac the fruit of which furnishes them with vessels for va ous uses. We also found here the Chinese paper m berry-tree, the fame as that of which the inhabita of the South Sea islands make their cloth; but it is fcarce, that though the new Zealanders also m cloth of it, they have not enough for any other pur than to wear as an ornament in the holes which make in their ears, as I have obferved before. But among all the trees, fhrubs, and plants o' |